Tenshi namida
by archangel12
Summary: begins from episode 11 but is different, just read it!
1. A new pilot

CHAPTER 1  
  
The phone rang loudly and Misato grudgingly picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" she yawned, she had just gotten off a long night shift and now that Shinji and Asuka had gone to school she was hoping for a nice long sleep in.  
  
"Misato? It is Ritsuko," she sounded almost excited when she spoke to Misato.  
  
"What? I am sleepy." Misato complained.  
  
"We have found the fourth child," she said in short blank form.  
  
"YOU WHAT? I will be right over there" Misato got up and rushed around to get ready, with the fourth child Evangelion unit 03 would be able to combat against the angels.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Misato held her manual close to her as she walked into Ritsuko's office. She stood their for a moment before Ritsuko spun around to face her holding up a n information page with the new girl's photo on it.  
  
"That's her?" Misato asked grabbing the papers. She looked at the girl's photo and noticed that the girl had the same expression on her face as Shinji, blank.  
  
"Yep that's her, Mia Zaharia" Ritsuko answered and Misato smiled, I will go and see Commander Fyustuki to see where she is staying at" Misato nodded closing the door behind her Ritsuko sighed and took a deep drag of her cigarette before putting it out, 'this should make it easier'. She thought getting back to her paper work.  
  
* * *  
  
"HAVE YOU HEARD?" Kensuke grabbed Toji's arm and Toji jumped.  
  
"Not now Kensuke, Misato should be arriving any minute now, it is a parent teacher interview and she is appearing for Asuka and Shinji" Toji snapped shoving him away but Kensuke grabbed him by his shoulders.  
  
"A new pilot is transferring!" he shouted and suddenly he had Toji's attention.  
  
"New pilot?" he exclaimed repeating Kensuke.  
  
"Yeah, it is only a rumor though, but I heard that Eva 03 is becoming operational as a new pilot is coming in and she is a girl" Kensuke said and Asuka over heard.  
  
"WHAT?!" she screamed grabbing Kensuke by his shirt. "What new pilot I haven't been told!" she screamed seeing Shinji walk in out of the corner of her eye. "SHINJI!" she screamed dropping Kensuke on the floor and grabbing Shinji's sleeve.  
  
"What?" Shinji asked trying to shake her off but Asuka looked terrifying; perhaps she was afraid that the new girl would take her place.  
  
"Have you heard about the new pilot?" she shook him violently.  
  
"What new pilot?" Shinji asked unaware of any news concerning a new pilot.  
  
"What about you wonder girl do you know anything?" Asuka snapped at her slamming her hands on the desk.  
  
"I have not been informed of any new news," Rei said quietly and Asuka sighed loudly as the teacher walked in.  
  
"Why is everyone around here useless for information!" she squealed before sitting down and taking out her laptop.  
  
"What new pilot?" Shinji whispered to Kensuke.  
  
"Apparently Eva pilot 03 is being transferred here today, I don't know much more but you will have to tell us ALL of the details after you meet her this afternoon." Kensuke answered.  
  
"Who says I will be meeting her this afternoon?" Shinji as asked and Kensuke hit his forehead.  
  
"You are a pilot are you not and she is a pilot right? Of course you will meet her at training dumb ass" Kensuke snapped and the teacher raised his eyebrow.  
  
"Kensuke could you please leave the room" he said sternly and Kensuke moaned as he left the room closing the door behind him.  
  
Asuka fidgeted in her seat unable to concentrate. 'What if this girl took her place and became popular?' 'No that couldn't happen, I am too popular' she thought hard on how to fix this small problem of the fourth child. 'I could befriend her! That way I would be even more popular, that is if she were so popular and pretty that all the guys would like her.and if she wasn't popular material I just wont bother' Asuka smiled, now all she had to do was find this girl before anyone else did.  
  
* * *  
  
Misato strode down the hall quickly and caught a glimpse of Kaji, she quickly changed her route and took the stairs, and after jogging up 7 flights she felt like falling over and dying. She pushed he door open and walked into commander Fuyutsuki's office without knocking.  
  
"Do you not knock Misato?" he snapped and she bowed.  
  
"Sorry commander, I have just come to ask where this new pilot will be staying?" she asked rising up.  
  
"On the other side of Tokyo-3" he stroked his grey side burns and brushed his hand through his hair.  
  
"What?" Misato jumped, it will take her 40 minutes to get to NERV if an angel attacks" Misato shouted, "the gentleman who live a floor up from me is moving out in 3 weeks, she can stay at my place until then if there is nothing else available"  
  
"You are already the guardian for 2 other children and not to mention the owner of a penguin" he said sternly and she nodded.  
  
"It will only be temporary" she assured him.  
  
"Do yu have the space for this pilot?" he asked her firmly.  
  
"As I said before it is only temporary, she can stay in the spare room for the time being and when the apartment is available she can be relocated to the apartment upstairs" Misato guaranteed and he nodded.  
  
"Very well then, the pilot will be moved in three weeks from your home" he said and the lights went out aside from the door behind Misato. She bowed and exited using the elevator this time. She leant on the walls and sighed, what was she getting herself into? Three of the children staying at her place. 


	2. Settling in

CHAPTER 2  
  
"Mia Zaharia, Ms Katsuragi is here for you" one of the Nerv men said to her and she got up grabbing her backpack. She nodded as she became face to face with her temporary guardian.  
  
"Hi Mia, you can call me Misato" she smiled sincerely and Mia smiled back. Misato seemed to be a nice person, her blue hair was tied up in a ponytail and her suit had an Operation's major badge on it.  
  
"Hi" Mia said quietly as they walked down the single flight of stairs to Misato's car. Mia climbed in and sat down in the car as Misato swore at the engine to get it going.  
  
"You're Italian right?" Misato asked and Mia nodded.  
  
"My mother is Italian, I don't have a father," she said watching as all of the high-rise building flashed by.  
  
"Sorry to hear that" Misato replied. "Anyway I am sorry if you like quiet spaces and being by yourself because two of the other children sty with me as well" she smiled.  
  
"Other children? As in the other pilots?" Mia asked and Misato nodded pulling into the car park under an apartment block.  
  
"Yes, Shinji Ikari the third child and Asuka Langley Sohyru the second child. I must warn you not to feel intimidated by Asuka, she is a very forward person." Misato's voice trailed off and Mia raised her eyebrow, 'forward person?'  
  
"They are at school at the moment but they will be home in around and hour or so" Misato added.  
  
"That's fine" Mia said as they used the elevator to go upstairs. Misato opened the door and Mia just stood in the doorframe looking into the apartment.  
  
"Go on in, this is your home for now" Misato smiled and Mia looked awkwardly at her.  
  
"I really don't want to intrude," she said and Misato smiled hitting her on the back.  
  
"You remind me too much of Shinji, you are not intruding, go on" Misato laughed and Mia walked inside and Misato showed Mia her new room beside Asuka's that was next to Shinji's.  
  
"Oh Misato." Mia began as the doorbell rang. Misato opened the door to find an enormous covered object on wheels; the removal's men had strained faces as the pushed it towards the apartment. "I have one large possession"  
  
"What is it?" Misato exclaimed and Mia laughed.  
  
"It is a piano" she smiled and Misato laughed.  
  
"I had no idea"  
  
"I wont play it don't worry" Mia promised and Misato shook her hand.  
  
"It isn't a problem, you can play it if you like" Misato said and after all of the boxes had been taken into Mia's room the phone rang. Misato went to answer it as Mia unpacked her luggage, as she was hanging her clothes up she overheard the telephone conversation.  
  
"Oh hi Kaji.mmhmm.yeah.that would be great.now?.it is just that the fourth child has just arrived.yes she is staying at my place.you sound just like Ritsuko.it is only temporary while she settles in and waited for the upstairs apartment to become available.ok fine I'll come.see you then.bye" Misato hung up the phone and Mia heard her walking this way.  
  
"Would you mind if I just went out for a while?" Misato asked Mia and Mia laughed.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I will just unpack and I am a bit jet-lagged so I will probably just get some sleep before the others get here" Mia smiled and Misato smiled back.  
  
"Thanks a lot, tell Shinji and Asuka that I will be back around six OK, oh and tell Shinji that it is his turn to cook" Misato called out before shutting the door.  
  
Mia sighed hanging the last of her clothes up; she shoved the suitcase in the wardrobe opening one of her three boxes. On top of the first box was a photo of her and her mum in Venice a year ago. She put it on the beside- table and smiled wiping a tear away.  
  
"I miss you already mum" she whispered to the picture taking out her laptop and putting it on the table along with a bunch of books, most were just free reading but some were on countries and computer systems. The other boxes had only unimportant things that she would only need when she moved out of this apartment.  
  
Mia sat on the bed and looked over at the white sheet on her piano. She lifted it up slightly and positioned her fingers on the keys playing a slow melody of Ode to joy. She played it until the end of the song before getting off the seat and lying on the bed staring at the ceiling.  
  
After just lying there for half an hour she sat up and walked out of the bedroom to explore the apartment. She walked through the small living room that joined onto the kitchen and dining room before looking into the bathroom that was joined on with the toilet.  
  
The doors were strange as they slid rather than swung. For a moment she was mesmerized by the sliding door before walking back towards her bedroom. Asuka's bedroom door was open slightly so she peered in. It was definitely a girls room with just they smell of musk giving it away.  
  
The bed was in the same position as her and the cordless phone was on top of the bedspread. A few notes and books were on the desk crammed with papers on the table as well. A radio was still playing music as Mia backed away from the door walking over to Shinji's room.  
  
Mia looked into the dark room that was boring as hell. There was no sing that anyone lived in their except for that fact that there was a sign on the door saying 'Shinji's lovely suite'. A Walkman was sitting on the bed with the headphones stretching out like snakes from the small box.  
  
Mia walked back into her room and took the empty boxes into the kitchen folding them up and placing them in the corner out of the way. At that moment the door opened and Asuka threw her bag in the corner stretching and yawning.  
  
"What a boring.Ahh! Who are you?" she jumped backwards leaning on the door.  
  
"I know you are Asuka" Mia smirked looking at the red clips that held Asuka's long red hair up, her fringe was long and sat in her eyes covering the blueness of them.  
  
"You're the new pilot?" Asuka's eyes widened and Mia nodded cautiously. "And you're living here?"  
  
"Just for three weeks then I am moving upstairs" Mia said and Asuka's eyes flashed.  
  
"Well then I should properly introduce myself then since we'll be living together for the next3 weeks, I am Asuka Langley Sohyru" she smiled and her eyes squinted.  
  
"Mia Zaharia, your German right?" she asked and Asuka nodded amazed.  
  
"How did you know?" she gasped.  
  
"You have a German accent and you look German as well" Mia stated the obvious and Asuka looked impressed.  
  
"I am willing to bet that you are Italian," Asuka said and Mia nodded. "Fantastic! We are both exchange students!" Asuka ran into her room. "I'll be right back," she said and Mia heard the phone dial and Asuka scream into the phone.  
  
Mia walked over to the fridge and opened it to find gallons of beer. She opened another part and took out a can of soda opening it before she heard the door open.  
  
There was a slight pause after Mia heard something drop to the floor, perhaps a school bag.  
  
"Asuka" a boys voice called out.  
  
"Not now Shinji can't you see that I am on the phone!" Asuka slammed her door shut as Mia heard the fridge open, except it wasn't the fridge where she had gotten her drink. She looked over and found a penguin walking around near her.  
  
"AHH!" She screamed backing back and bumping into the boy. "What is that?" she grabbed his shirt and shook him.  
  
He blinked twice stuttering.  
  
"Th.that's P.Penpen" he answered and she let him go. "Who are you?" he asked and she stared at him.  
  
"Mia Zaharia, the fourth child" she answered and he just started at her. "Would you like to introduce you as well?" she asked and he shook his head.  
  
"I am Shinji Ikari," he answered at last.  
  
"Nice to meet you" She smiled and he nodded.  
  
"Same" he said as Asuka ran out of the room and grabbed Mia by the elbow.  
  
"He is an idiot, just ignore him," she said poking her tongue out at him and taking Mia into her room.  
  
"Oh wait, Misato says that she has gone out and will be back at six, she also said to remind you that it is your night to cook" Mia said and Shinji nodded but Asuka laughed.  
  
"Ha, ha" Asuka laughed and Shinji walked into his room with one phrase repeating in his head 'the fourth child' 


	3. Personality changes in the still darknes...

CHAPTER 3  
  
Misato breathed in the fresh smell of Yakitori as she walked into the apartment.  
  
"I am home" she called out dropping her keys on the bar-table and taking off her coat. She smiled a Shinji who began to serve the meals, but this time he served them in four bowls for the first time.  
  
Mia walked out of Asuka's room before Asuka, for the first time Shinji noticed how pretty Mia's hair was, it was a golden brown colour and waved down to her hips in small waves. Her green eyes glimmered in the lights from the living room and he almost felt hypnotized by them.  
  
"Hurry up will you I am starving" Asuka snapped and he finished quickly handing the bowls out as everyone sat down. Mia looked down as if saying a silent grace to herself before starting.  
  
"Misato," Asuka started and Misato glanced across at her as she guzzled the beer down. "Will Mia be coming to the tests tomorrow?"  
  
"If she is not to jet-lagged" Misato said and Mia smiled.  
  
"I will be fine, the quicker I get started the better off I am if an angel attacks" Mia stated and Misato smiled.  
  
"If only Asuka had your attitude towards school work" Misato smirked maliciously and Asuka blushed slurping the noodles. The fur of them ate in silence until Misato had finished.  
  
"Well I have a lot of work to do, Asuka you can clean up and I will re-do the chores in the morning" Misato said.  
  
"Awe! But I need to take a bath!" Asuka winged.  
  
"I will clean up" Mia said and Misato shook her head.  
  
"It is Asuka's turn" Misato said and Asuka looked pained.  
  
"No I insist" Mia said taking their plates to the sink, somehow Shinji found himself feeling intimidated by Mia and got up walking straight to his room. Misato watched him as he left and as Asuka went into the bathroom.  
  
Mia didn't look one bit displeased as she cleaned up washing all of the plates before drying them. Misato knocked on Shinji's door and let herself in.  
  
"Shinji," she started and he looked up at her.  
  
"What is it Misato?" he asked politely.  
  
"Are you OK with Mia staying here?" she asked and Shinji nodded puzzled.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked.  
  
"You just seem uneasy around her," Misato said and Shinji sighed.  
  
"She has a strange personality, she isn't forward and bitchy like Asuka, she isn't submissive and emotionless like Rei so I just don't know how to act around her" Shinji thought aloud.  
  
"You just need to get used to her, you need to get to know her and once you know what she likes and just a little more about her then you wont feel uneasy around her" Misato smiled leaving the room. Shinji flopped back onto his bed and turned the music back on.  
  
"Yeah I suppose," he whispered to no one.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next morning Mia was up first eating some cereal while reading an Italian-Japanese dictionary. Shinji walked out of his room doing up his over shirt, he jumped when he saw her there and she smiled while chewing.  
  
"Morning" he said walking into the kitchen and pressing down toast in the toaster. "Are you Italian?"  
  
"Yep" she said taking off her glasses and putting them on the table and closing her book. "Are you Commander Ikari's son?" she asked however she already assumed that he was.  
  
"Yeah" he answered quietly.  
  
"Must feel weird having a father so high up in such an organization as NERV" she said and he nodded sitting across the table from her.  
  
"Actually I don't really know my father that much as you probably do," he said taking a bite into his toast.  
  
"You would be surprised," she said and he looked up raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked drinking some coffee.  
  
"I don't have a father at all, so not knowing a father is better than not having one," she said and he shook his head.  
  
"Not my father, he abandoned me" Shinji said and felt like punching himself for saying that, why did he say that to someone he didn't know?  
  
"Oh sorry to hear that, it must be hard" Mia said fervently and she surprised him yet again. One moment she was quiet and submissive, the next she was agreeing, the next she was educating him and after that she was passionate, what is her personality?  
  
"Hmm" he nodded and she finished her cereal.  
  
"You pilot 01 am I right?" she asked and he nodded.  
  
"Yeah" he said in a monotone.  
  
"Why are you some glum about the Evangelions?" she asked, he thought that she must want to pilot them like Asuka.  
  
"I just don't know, I don't know why I pilot them" he said and was about to hit himself again, he doesn't know her!  
  
"I was hesitant at first as well, can you imagine having so much power? Having a god like thing in your control? Putting so many people at risk let alone yourself?" she said taking her bowl to the sink and rinsing it.  
  
Shinji's eyes widened. Does she want to pilot them or not? She just seemed as if she did, then she sounded like it was too much supremacy for her to handle.  
  
"Shinji did you make my breakfast?" Asuka grinned and Shinji frowned.  
  
"No" he said simply and she frowned.  
  
"Hmph" she popped some toast and Mia took her book and glasses from the table walking into her room.  
  
"She is a bit strange" Asuka whispered.  
  
"Mm" Shinji nodded. "But in a good way" he added and Asuka rolled her eyes.  
  
"All I meant was that she wasn't a boring pilot like you or wonder girl, she actually has a personality like me" Asuka smiled while eating her toast.  
  
"She sure does" Shinji said.  
  
Half an hour later the three of them left out the apartment walking towards NERV HQ. The caught up with Rei who glanced at Mia before acting as if she had not seen her.  
  
"Just ignore wonder girl, she is a bit koo koo like Shinji" Asuka whispered and Mia looked at her.  
  
"Rei Ayanami" Mia said and Rei turned to face her.  
  
"How do you." Rei asked and they all kept walking.  
  
"You are the first child am I correct?" Mia asked as they reached the gates to the NERV base. Mia swiped her card and nothing happened.  
  
"Maybe I am not in the system yet," she said stepping back as Shinji tried and nothing happened.  
  
"Strange" he whispered and Rei had a go.  
  
"What are you doing? Here let me do it" Asuka pushed Rei out of the way swiping her card numerous times ineffectively. "Huh? Stupid thing must be broken, damn it" she snapped and they made their way over to the fingerplates all pressing their thumbs up to the plates unsuccessfully.  
  
"What is going on?" Shinji pondered aloud.  
  
"Something must be wrong, all of these don't work" Rei whispered.  
  
"Do you think something happened in the geofront?" Mia asked.  
  
"That is a natural assumption," Rei said.  
  
"We could try to contact NERV HQ" Shinji suggested and Mia shook her head hanging up her mobile.  
  
"The lines are down I already tried," she said.  
  
"So what now? Shinji wondered aloud as Rei fished through her bag taking out her emergency manual, she flicked through a few of the pages whilst Asuka searched for hers.  
  
"What are you looking for?" Shinji asked Asuka.  
  
"Looking for my emergency manual you idiot," she snapped and Mia looked around to find that all ways in were electronic which wouldn't help them at all as the power seemed to be out.  
  
"We should try to go to NERV HQ ourselves," Rei said quietly and they all agreed.  
  
"Right but before we do that we should decide which of us will be this groups leader, naturally I have the best qualifications, Any objections" Asuka snapped advancing into their faces and they all exchanged glances shaking their heads.  
  
"We can use the access port through route 7" Mia suggested looking at Rei's emergency manual. After being led by Asuka for what seemed like half an hour they came across a manual door.  
  
"But the doors don't work" Shinji said stating the obvious. "Oh we can open it manually"  
  
"Well there you go Shinji this is your department" she smirked maliciously and Shinji cursed heading to the door and beginning to turn the axle.  
  
"Ugh you're the one who always wants to be in charge but whenever the going gets tuff you always refer to me" Shinji complained as the three girls waited at the door entrance.  
  
"Quit you whining" Asuka snapped as she squeezed through the door. The rest of them followed her.  
  
"This usually only takes 2 minutes, do you know where you are going?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Of course I do, we should be coming up to the geofront any minute now" Asuka said.  
  
"Have you said that four times already?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Oh gees why do you always have to nit pick everything!" Asuka snapped.  
  
"Silence please" Rei said and Mia looked over at her as Shinji and Asuka shushed each other.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Mia asked her.  
  
"Listen" Rei, said looking up.  
  
"A car?" Mia suggested.  
  
"There is an angel approaching" a voice over a P.A system repeated.  
  
"What another angel?" Asuka and Shinji said in sync.  
  
We cant waste anymore time" Mia warned.  
  
"There is a shortcut," Rei said.  
  
"Hey wonder girl don't forget that I am the leader here," Asuka snapped viciously at Rei. "So where is this shortcut?" she said with a sudden changed attitude which made Shinji and Mia scrunch up their noses.  
  
"The air vent" Rei said looking up. Shinji broke into the vent giving Rei Ayanami a leg up. He helped Mia up next and Asuka after.  
  
"This is only because I am not tall enough, not because I am weak!" she snapped and Shinji rolled his eyes climbing up after them.  
  
"This way may be really quick but we look stupid!" Asuka whined.  
  
"Hey what are angels anyway? Aren't they messengers from god?" Shinji asked.  
  
"What are you stupid? They attacked us!" Asuka snapped.  
  
"And so as a defence man fought back" Mia said a little more nicely.  
  
They shimmied their way through the vent for at least 10 more meters before Rei found a grate that she could open. They all jumped out and found themselves in a barely lit corridor. Two paths faced them in a fork like situation and Asuka contemplated for a moment.  
  
"Let's see, to the right!" Asuka decided.  
  
"I believe the correct path is left" Rei suggested and Asuka shook her head.  
  
"Stop contradicting me! Mia what do you think?" Asuka asked her and she shrugged.  
  
"I really am not the person to ask, I have only been here for one day," Mia said and Asuka sighed.  
  
"What do you think Shinji?" she asked him putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Ah, I am not certain" he said with a mystified look on his face.  
  
"Look I am the leader so you can all just shut up and follow me" she snapped heading right. Mia kept her hand on the wall as they walked up hill.  
  
"I can feel vibrations." she said confused. "Maybe the power is coming back on" she wondered aloud.  
  
"We are going up again. I thought something was odd here," Shinji said as Asuka found a door.  
  
"I give you the geofront" she swung the door open and fell backwards as a large black spike stamped in front of her. "What was that!" she screamed as a truck size black oval with eyes glided past them.  
  
"Shut the door!" Mia said pulling it closed with Shinji's help.  
  
"Another angel" Rei whispered and they all stared at Asuka.  
  
"Yes now that I have visually located the angel we can now proceed to NERV HQ" Asuka said and they all sighed this time walking back down the corridor and this time turning left.  
  
As they walked down the corridor they came to another fork where Rei led the way with an unhappy Asuka behind her.  
  
"Your Commander Ikari's favourite aren't you? I guess that that means you get special attention," Asuka said wanting to stir up trouble.  
  
"Asuka this isn't the time for this" Shinji said quietly and Mia listened on.  
  
"You always look so smug too" she added and stormed in front of Rei when she received no reaction. "Hey just because they like you best doesn't mean that you can act superior" Asuka snapped and Mia and Shinji said nothing awkwardly.  
  
"I don't act superior" Rei answered "And I am not treated any better either"  
  
"Um, there is no way I can clear this away with my hands" Shinji stated the obvious.  
  
"I guess we go back up," Mia suggested looking at the air vent above them said and they all approved reluctantly getting inside the air duct. Rei led again with Mia and Asuka behind them and Shinji with his head down behind Asuka.  
  
"If you dare look up my skirt Shinji I will kill you!" Asuka warned and Shinji looked up.  
  
"What?"  
  
"AH! IDIOTO!" she kicked him twice in the head.  
  
"Well I had to look up to see where I am going!" Shinji shouted back and they fell through the air vent landing on top of one another whilst Rei and Mia landed on their feet beside them.  
  
"The pilots!" Maya exclaimed. 


	4. Matariel

CHAPTER 4  
  
"Get them ready for launch immediately!" Ritsuko said and Shinji looked over at her concerned.  
  
"How can we launch the Eva's without power?" he asked.  
  
"Manually, your father prepared it" she said looking down at the launch dock.  
  
"My father?" Shinji repeated as they made their way to the launch docks.  
  
"Yes commander Ikari believed in you and had them prepared for launch" Ritsuko added.  
  
"Unit 04 is not to exert too much power as it is still unstable," Commander Ikari shouted out and Ritsuko nodded.  
  
As the children synchronized they had to push their way out of the gates and climb out of a shaft.  
  
"Oh this is pathetic" Asuka complained as they approached the vertical shaft. Naturally Asuka went first beginning to climb up the shaft. "I can't believe we're doing this, this is so embarrassing" Asuka whined as orange drops fell from the angel's eye.  
  
"Watch out it is acid," Rei said and Asuka freaked.  
  
"Acid?!" she said as it dropped onto her Eva. Evangelion 02's footing gave way and it began to slide down the chamber crashing into unit 04 before they both fell on unit 00 which also gave way.  
  
They all screamed as Shinji tried to stop them from falling all of the way to the bottom of the shaft and was successful, however all of their guns and ammunition was dropped o the bottom of the shaft.  
  
They all climbed into a horizontal shaft for protection as more of the acid splashed down the tube.  
  
"It is planning to attack NERV directly using the acid," Mia said reading the status on her Evangelion side screen. An advantage with Unit 04 is that it has the ability to Sense the Angel's characteristics and power levels reasonably accurately enabling the Eva's to be better equip for battles.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Shinji asked.  
  
"We're going to beat it of course!" Asuka shouted back at him.  
  
"OK but how? We have dropped out rifles and the battery packs are running out of power" Shinji notified them.  
  
"We have less than 3 minutes left," Rei stated.  
  
"I've got an idea" Asuka said, "There will be four positions; defence, offence, backup and backup for the defence. Defense's job is to neutralize the Angel's AT field and to protect the offence from the aftermath. Backup will go down the shaft and retrieve the rifles handing them to the Offence who will then fire a volley destroying the target. The backup for defence will position themselves under defence to ensure that there is no acid that will touch the offense, how does that sound" Asuka asked.  
  
"I see, I will take the defensive position" Rei said agreeing to the most dangerous position.  
  
"Sorry but it is not for you wonder girl that will be me" Asuka informed them.  
  
"It is too dangerous, Asuka" Shinji said.  
  
"That's why I am doing it, I will feel bad if I don't repay you for the one I owe you from last time. Shinji will be offense, wonder girl will be back up and Mia will be back up defense," Asuka said sternly. "Got it?"  
  
"Understood" Rei said closing her window.  
  
"Sure thing" Mia smiled closing her window. Shinji then nodded closing his.  
  
"Right here we go. EVA CHARGE!" Asuka screamed and they all jumped out the hole. Asuka and Mia climbed above Shinji positioning themselves with their backs facing upwards. Shinji was below Eva 04 panicking as the time began to run out.  
  
The angel dropped the acid down and Asuka screamed in pain. Some splashed hit 04 and Mia bit her lip as it felt as if her back was being burned. Rei landed at the bottom grabbing the rifle and loading it.  
  
"Ayanami!" Shinji reached down for the rifle before aiming. "Asuka, Mia get out of the way!" he shouted and they both dived into the shaft. Shinji fired several shots at the angel until the ammunition ran out and the angel fell down defeated.  
  
"Now we're even Shinji" Asuka said smartly.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Later that evening the four children were lying on a grass hill overlooking Tokyo-3. The stars were shining brightly on them as the cool night air breezed around them.  
  
"It's ironic, without electricity and artificial light the sky looks so beautiful" Shinji said gazing up at the dark blue blanket that glimmered brightly.  
  
"But without lights it is as if there are no humans here" Asuka said apprehensively. As she said this, the city lights came back on and it was now the city that was glimmering rather than the sky. "There I feel much more comfortable now"  
  
"Man has always feared the darkness, so he scrapes away at its edges with fire" Rei said quietly. "He creates life by diminishing the darkness  
  
"Philosophy eh?" Mia smiled. "There is always logic behind something."  
  
"Is that what makes mankind a special species? Is that why the angels keep attacking us?" Shinji asked.  
  
"What are you stupid? Who knows what they think" Asuka said and they all sat there in silence for the longest time just thinking alone. 


	5. Misato's promotion & the harmonics test

CHAPTER 5  
  
"I am nervous" Mia said as the three children walked into the school building.  
  
"Don't be, they are all a bunch of dweebs anyway" Asuka assured her and Shinji said nothing as they walked into the classroom. He walked over to Toji and Kensuke who were reading a war guide, much to Toji's disappointment.  
  
"Hey guys" Shinji said and Toji looked up t him.  
  
"Hey Shinji how's it going?" Toji asked resting his feet on the table.  
  
"We heard the new pilot helped you guys defeat the last angel," Kensuke said looking around the room. He saw a girl with long curly light brown hair and clutched Toji's arm. "Look! It's the new exchange student!" he pointed and Toji watched as she talked to the teacher.  
  
"Whoa she is hot!" Toji said grinning.  
  
"Yeah." Shinji trailed off following her around the room with his eyes.  
  
"Yeah?" Kensuke and Toji asked in unison.  
  
"Well, she is strange" he elaborated and they shrugged.  
  
"You don't find Misato gorgeous and you don't see this girl as hot either? What is wrong with you?" Kensuke snapped and Shinji looked away. The bell sounded and they all took their seats.  
  
"We have a new exchange student with us as of today, could you please introduce yourself?" he said and Mia walked up to the front of the class.  
  
"Well my name is Mia Zaharia and I am from a small town in Italy called Berletta," she said walking back to her seat.  
  
"I think you are weird Shinji, she isn't" Toji whispered.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After school when the three stooges were walking home a freak storm hit and they had to run home to Shinji's place to take shelter. Asuka was getting changed in the bathroom and Mia was reading a book on the floor near the T.V eating chips still wearing her school uniform.  
  
"Thanks for letting us in Shinji, you really saved us from that storm" Toji said as Shinji handed them each a towel to dry off.  
  
"Where is Misato?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"My guess is that she is still asleep, she has been working all night recently" Shinji said using a towel to dry his own hair.  
  
"That's right she has a tough job," Toji added.  
  
"Well I guess we had better be quiet, so that we don't wake her up" Kensuke said quietly rubbing his glasses with the towel.  
  
"Well." Shinji started and they shushed him.  
  
"HEY! What in the heck are these creeps doing here?!" Asuka screamed through a crack in the door.  
  
"Drying themselves" Shinji answered as Kensuke and Toji shushed Asuka.  
  
"What a lame excuse, you guys are just after me aren't you! Well I am getting changed and if I catch any of you peeping I will KILL you!" she slammed the door shut in their faces.  
  
"You stuck up egotistical little.who would want to see a snake change it's skin anyway?" Toji snapped clutching the towel in his fist.  
  
"She is sure full of herself," Kensuke said under his breath. The door behind them slid open and Misato was standing in the doorframe dressed in her work uniform.  
  
"Misato!" Toji exclaimed.  
  
"Did we wake you up?" Kensuke asked paranoid.  
  
"Actually I was already awake, so how are you guys?" she asked. "Shinji don't forget that we have a harmonics test this evening," she reminded him and he nodded.  
  
"Right" he answered.  
  
"Did you hear that Asuka?" Misato asked through the door.  
  
"Yes Ma'am!" Asuka answered.  
  
"What about you Mia?" Misato peered into the lounge room and Mia looked up through her glasses.  
  
"No problem" she smiled and Kensuke and Toji's mouths dropped open. Kensuke looked at Misato's collar and bowed.  
  
"Congratulations on your promotion Ms Misato" he said and Toji bowed also.  
  
"Congratulations" he repeated.  
  
"You too kind" she smiled grabbing her keys and folder.  
  
"No Ma'am you deserved it" he replied standing up.  
  
"Well I shall see you guys later" she closed the door behind her.  
  
"See ya!" they both waved after her and Mia got up and walked into the kitchen for a snack while Shinji stood their bewildered.  
  
"What's up with Misato, did something happen to her?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Too things Shinji." Toji began.  
  
"Didn't you see her new badge, it has too stripes on it for Major" Kensuke asked.  
  
"Promoted? I didn't notice" Asuka said popping out from behind the door whilst drying her hair.  
  
"Me neither" Mia added walking back into the lounge room.  
  
"And the other thing." Toji grabbed Shinji by his collar. "Since when did the new hot chick move into your apartment?!"  
  
"It is only temporary for 3 weeks" Shinji answered watching Asuka.  
  
"Idiots." she muttered under her breath following Mia into the living room. "How' it going?" she asked turning on the T.V.  
  
"No bad, I am getting used to Japanese culture I think," she said looking at the door.  
  
"Oh yeah how stupid is it? They don't even know how to use doors properly," Asuka laughed heartily.  
  
"Too us yes but I don't think Shinji or Misato or even his friends think that it is, I guess that it is just what you are used to and your culture" Mia answered and Asuka shook her head as if she had water in her ears.  
  
"Thank you school finished and hour ago" they both laughed as Toji and Kensuke left the apartment and Shinji went to his room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Unit 00 and 02 have reached their contamination limit" Ritsuko said reading the screen, unit 01 can handle a little more can't he and 03 should also be able to handle just a little more. Lower the graph depth another 0.3 for 01 and 0.1 for 03" Ritsuko instructed as Misato watched on.  
  
"He has almost reached contamination zone," Maya said watching the bar graph jiggle. "03 can take 0.05 more before she breaches though"  
  
"Ok lower her level 0.065 and see how she takes it" Ritsuko said and Maya nervously lowered the graph depth. The bar breached the zone and for one split second it went over the breach going red but jumped back to normal.  
  
"Was that possible?" Misato asked and Ritsuko frowned.  
  
"I am not sure, these results are being recorded fully right?" she asked and they nodded. "Right"  
  
"Shinji's harmonics and sync ratios are quickly catching up with Asuka's" Maya added.  
  
"He is just wonderful" Ritsuko smiled reading the screens. "He does have talent doesn't he, it is like he was born to pilot an Eva," she stated.  
  
"But that is not what Shinji wants" Misato said watching the tank. "I know that he is not really happy doing this" she said and all of them concurred.  
  
"The test has been completed" Ritsuko said over a P.A system as the test tubes opened.  
  
After all four pilots got out of the test tubes and made their way to the test central Ritsuko congratulated Shinji.  
  
"That was excellent work Shinji" she smiled.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Your harmonics value has increased by 8 points since the last test. That is very good," she declared.  
  
"But it is still 50 points below mine" Asuka said nastily.  
  
"Yes but he has increased it in only ten days which is remarkable" Ritsuko alleged.  
  
"It's not that great" Asuka retorted. "Are you happy with your little praise now Shinji? Enjoy your victory while you can" she said maliciously and Shinji cringed. "I'll see you when you get home jerk face" she stormed off.  
  
After Shinji and Mia had changed Misato got off work early and gave them a ride home. Mia was in the back listening to the radio where some idiot was over reacting about his girlfriend dumping him.  
  
"Hey by the way congratulations on your promotion" Shinji said to Misato and Mia shrugged as the radio worker bitched about living in a third world country while growing up.  
  
"Thanks Shinji but I am not that thrilled," Misato said sighing. "I am not really that thrilled with it" she finished and Mia almost laughed when the radio person snapped at them man saying that people really couldn't afford to have relationship problems when there is so much more going on that was way more troubling than him and his breakup.  
  
"Oh I understand" Shinji answered, "I am not all that happy when I am praised like earlier." his voice trailed off and Mia listened in on their conversation eve's dropping. "All it does is get Asuka pissed off; I don't know why she gets so mad. It is so stupid"  
  
"It bothers you doesn't it?" Mia asked.  
  
"It does" Shinji answered thinking that Misato had said that.  
  
"You shouldn't worry about what others think of you so much, you are a good person Shinji" Mia smiled and Shinji jumped realizing that she was talking. He blushed slightly and Misato agreed with her.  
  
"I agree with Mia" Misato said. "See even she has picked up on your worried attitude about what others think of you"  
  
"People need to be judged by their inner self, not by their representation of you" Mia said and Shinji looked back at her and looked right at her for the first time. She didn't look away which made his stomach knot up making him have to look away. 


	6. A disturbed mind

CHAPTER 6  
  
As Misato, Shinji and Mia arrived home and walked in everyone jumped out and threw streamers everywhere shouting surprise. Misato was welcomed into her home by praises and congratulations.  
  
"Awe thanks you guys and thank you Toji" she smiled opening a can off beer as they all sat around a coffee table to celebrate Misato's promotion.  
  
"Oh no, this was all Kensuke's idea" Toji said patting Kensuke on the shoulder. Asuka kicked Toji under the table while sitting beside Mia who laughed at his pained reaction.  
  
"That's right, I Kensuke Aida am the mastermind behind this dinner," he said standing up as if reporting to a commander or major for that matter.  
  
"Oh well then thank you mister Aida" Misato corrected herself as Shinji thought alone.  
  
"No problem. It wasn't such a big deal really," Kensuke said going red.  
  
Someone knocked on the door and Asuka got up and let in the class rep and she sat down beside Mia. Toji jumped up.  
  
"Hey just who invited the class rep?" he asked.  
  
"I did!" Asuka snapped smiling at her.  
  
"Did you invite Rei too?" Misato asked and Asuka nodded sculling her drink.  
  
"I did invite her but she is not exactly the party type ya know" she answered before grabbing Mia's hand and looking at her watch. "Darn why is Kaji so late?"  
  
"Kaji? You mean that really cool guy who never shaves?" the class rep asked.  
  
"Yeah after hanging around these dork all day it is good to know what a real guy is like" she said glaring at Shinji, Kensuke and Toji, Mia just giggled to herself, all of them were so straightforward toward each other, but Shinji wasn't.  
  
"Real man?" Toji barked. "How dare you!" he sat up and Mia tuned out watching as Shinji whispered something to Misato, she couldn't quite hear what they were saying but soon enough everyone around her was screaming. Toji got up and started accusing Asuka of something and Kensuke was pointing and yelling at the class rep.  
  
Asuka got up and started poking at Toji that mad him more agitated so they began to argue even more.  
  
"Why don't you just go home!" Toji snapped at the class rep.  
  
"Why not you instead!" Asuka snapped and Mia just watched them. Her ears burned like the old wives tale of if someone is talking or thinking about you your ears burn. She turned around and Shinji pretended not to be staring at her but she knew he had been because he was nervously glancing at her while she looked at him.  
  
He started talking with Misato again so she turned away and just watched the fight continue between the four of the others.  
  
"What do you think Mia?" Asuka asked and Mia shrugged.  
  
"I really don't know" she smiled taking a sip of her soda. The doorbell rang and suddenly everyone stopped fighting.  
  
"That's got to be Kaji!" Asuka squealed running for the door. When she opened the door she frowned to see that Kaji was standing there with Ritsuko.  
  
"Hi I came directly from HQ. We just happened to meet on the way," he said referring to Ritsuko.  
  
"A likely story" both Asuka and Misato snapped in suspicion.  
  
"You're not jealous are you?" Ritsuko asked Misato.  
  
"Absolutely not" she retorted drinking some more of her beer.  
  
"Anyway I would like to give you my fondest regards, MAJOR Katsuragi" Kaji exclaimed bowing politely. "I suppose I will have to be more polite to you from now on" he said rising up.  
  
"And just what does that mean?" Misato asked with a mouthful of food.  
  
"Well you know that commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki have never left Japan at the same time together before, I guess they must really feel old Katsuragi is dependable" Kaji smirked maliciously as he said this.  
  
"My father had left Japan again?" Shinji asked.  
  
"That's right Shinji, you father is at the South Pole at the moment" Ritsuko explained and Shinji nodded.  
  
Late that night after everyone had gone home Shinji sat alone in the living room watching the city lights slowly turn off one by one. He felt mesmerized by the lights that made he remember the four of them on the grass hill the other night. He watched as the candle near him burned out and wondered if that would be his fate, to simply burn out after all the angels have been defeated, if they are defeated that is.  
  
He drew in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly getting a cold shiver running down his spine. He sat there in the dark until he felt some kind of presence behind him, he almost felt afraid to turn around but gathered the courage assuming that it would just be Penpen. But it wasn't.  
  
"Mia?" he said quietly to find her sitting on the couch with her legs crossed.  
  
"Shinji" she said his name after he said hers and he had to think.  
  
"Why are you up?" he asked.  
  
"Long story, to put is short I don't sleep much these days so I was going to come out here and watch the lights go out, but you beat me to it so I just watched you and the lights instead" she shrugged and he almost felt embarrassed by her honesty. "What about you?"  
  
"I just can't sleep," he said exhaustedly.  
  
"Why?" she asked and he shrugged.  
  
"Sleeping is just like taking a bath, it brings back memories," he answered.  
  
"Bad ones?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Do you mind if I ask you like what?" Mia asked timidly. "You don't have to answer".  
  
"No it is OK. I just don't have a very good past and with that bad past comes bad memories that still haunt my mind," he answered tiredly.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" she asked softly.  
  
"My father abandoned me when I was little, after my mothers death actually" Shinji said watching the stars sparkle. "I really don't have anyone other than Misato, but sometimes I feel as if I am even more alone than I think."  
  
"What is loneliness? Is it isolation or the inability of being close to someone for fear of being hurt?" she wondered aloud.  
  
"Maybe it is both." Shinji thought.  
  
"Are you afraid of both?"  
  
"I just don't want to be hated"  
  
"How can someone like you be hated? You have one of those souls that makes you a good person, not like me," Mia said trailing off.  
  
"Not like you?" Shinji said.  
  
"I am a weak person with a disturbed mind, it is hard too heal wounds embedded in my soul" she whispered wrapping her arms around her knees and looking at the floor.  
  
"Hmm I find that hard to believe Mia, you look so emotionally strong, like just before when you defined loneliness and in the car when you almost read my mind like it was a locked door that just needed to be opened with a key that you possessed" Shinji said and she blushed.  
  
"I guess I just can tell" she smiled and he smiled back.  
  
"We had better get some sleep" Shinji said getting up. "You never know what tomorrow brings"  
  
"Hmm, I guess I should just pray for a dreamless sleep then, goodnight Shinji" she said walking into her room and closing the door slowly.  
  
"Goodnight Mia" he replied flopping on his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before remembering something that she said: 'disturbed mind' what did she mean by that? 


	7. Sahaqiel

CHAPTER 7  
  
"The angel appeared suddenly only 2 minutes ago above the Indian ocean" a NERV specialty said as the Angel's position appeared on the big screen.  
  
"Send the search satellite number six to that orbit," Misato instructed.  
  
"Target sited!"  
  
"It's enormous!"  
  
"It is impressive alright" Misato commented.  
  
"Satellite number six is closing in with the target"  
  
"Commencing data search" As this was said suddenly the satellite lost confirmation and they all lost the picture.  
  
"Was that an AT field?" Misato asked.  
  
"Yes, it radiated right out and took out satellite number six!"  
  
"It is a new way of using one" Ritsuko added sipping her coffee.  
  
Pictures were received from satellite number five of the Angel's first attack, a tidal wave was created as it struck the Indian ocean radiating out at a size of 4km high just on impact.  
  
"That's an AT field impact" Misato said amazed by it's power.  
  
"It uses kinetic energy too," Maya said looking at her papers for reference. "This angel is like a huge living bomb"  
  
"At least the first blast missed and struck the ocean but the second shot was much closer to land and for the last two hours it has been steadily correcting itself," Ritsuko stated.  
  
"So it is learning to aim itself," Misato said.  
  
"We detonated an N2 mine on its surface and had no effect"  
  
"The angel has been hiding since then"  
  
"It's coming here" Misato suggested.  
  
"That is a safe bet and next time it will probably drop itself" Ritsuko confirmed Misato's suggestion. "And if it falls on us."  
  
"There will be a third Ashinoko lake" Misato answered.  
  
"Actually it will be turned into a part of the pacific ocean," Ritsuko corrected.  
  
"Can we contact Commander Ikari?" Misato asked the personnel.  
  
"It is impossible due to the angels powerful jamming" one of them answered.  
  
"What does the Magi say?" Misato then asked.  
  
"The Magi are unanimous and suggest evacuation," Maya answered.  
  
"What will you do?" Ritsuko asked Misato and she thought hard. "You're the one who is in charge of all of this right now"  
  
"Notify all the ministries concerned, I am issuing a special D-17 declaration. All residents within a 50km radius are to be evacuated immediately," Misato ordered. "Also tell Mastishiro to back up the Magi"  
  
"Are we going to evacuate as well?" a staff member asked.  
  
"No, but it is not necessary to put everyone at risk" Misato answered.  
  
* * *  
  
Once the children arrived at the information center still dressed in their school uniforms Asuka was stunned by Misato's plan.  
  
"WHAT? You want us to catch it with our hands!" she screamed flexing her hand.  
  
"That's right, we'll position the Eva's in an estimated drop zone, then whilst maintaining your AT fields at full strength you'll catch it before it hits the ground" she said calmly. "Also I want unit 03 to use the sense ability before powering up your AT field, got it Mia?"  
  
"Got it" she smiled.  
  
"What if the angel doesn't come down were it is expected to?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Then we'll be a little put out eh?" Misato joked.  
  
"But what if the Eva's aren't strong enough to withstand the shock?" Asuka asked concerned.  
  
"We'll all be blown to the moon" Misato shrugged.  
  
"What are our chances?" Mia asked.  
  
"I have got no idea" Misato smiled and it was uncomforting to the children. "Not so good in my opinion"  
  
"If we pull this off it will be a miracle" Asuka muttered under her breath.  
  
"Miracles aren't something that just happen they are something that we make happen" Misato said sternly hearing Asuka.  
  
"So we have to be willing to sacrifice ourselves?" Asuka asked.  
  
"I am sorry Asuka we have no other choice, this is the best plan," Misato said sympathetically.  
  
"How can you call something this crazy a plan?" Asuka snapped.  
  
"I just cant" Misato said quietly. "You can refuse to do it if you wish" all of them stood in silence not looking away from Misato. "I see so you are all OK with this?" they all said nothing again as if afraid of what each other may think. "Regulations say that you all have to complete a will, have you done so"  
  
"What is the point I am not dying today" Mia smiled.  
  
"I don't need to write a will either, I'm not going to die yet" Asuka snapped.  
  
"Neither do I, there I no point in it" Rei muttered quietly.  
  
"Not me either" Shinji added.  
  
"OK, but when all of this is over I will treat you all to a steak dinner" Misato promised.  
  
"A steak dinner?" Asuka said almost disgusted.  
  
"Wow" Shinji said acting excited.  
  
"Don't forget OK," Misato said.  
  
"Is a steak dinner suppose to impress us?" Shinji asked to no one in particular.  
  
"Does she really think it will?" Asuka asked to no one as well. "Man the second impact generation really has some cheap standards"  
  
"I suppose she just can't help it" Shinji admitted.  
  
"Well that 'wow' sounded pretty enthusiastic to me Shinji" Asuka sneered elbowing him.  
  
"I guess that it may not mean much to us but it must mean something to her" Mia stole the words right out of Shinji's mouth.  
  
"Lets have a look where she is going to take us" Asuka looked through her bag until she found a restaurant guide. "You're coming with us right first trials?"  
  
"I don't think so" she shook her head.  
  
"Why not?" they all asked.  
  
"I dislike eating meat," Rei answered.  
  
"We had better get suited up," Mia suggested.  
  
"Right"  
  
* * *  
  
In the command center the adults were complaining about the fact that they had lost the angel due to it's jamming system.  
  
"So how do we know where it will fall?" Shinji asked.  
  
"The Magi have estimated an area of possible drop zone," Misato said bringing up an image of Tokyo-3.  
  
"WHAT! That is a huge area," Asuka complained.  
  
"It could drop anywhere on this map?" Mia asked and Misato nodded.  
  
"Given the size of the target's AT field it could annihilate NERV HQ from landing on any of these points" Ritsuko said looking directly at the screen.  
  
"Given that we'll disperse the Eva's at these four locations," Misato showed them.  
  
"And on what grounds is this dispersal based on?" Rei asked.  
  
"A guess" Misato answered and they all had heart failure.  
  
"A GUESS?" the all repeated in unanimity.  
  
"It is woman's intuition" Misato elaborated.  
  
"Her woman's intuition" Asuka said to Mia who giggled slightly. "Looks like our miracle is getting further and further away"  
  
"Misato has never won the lottery," Shinji said and Asuka's mouth dropped open. The children left the command center and headed for the elevator that would take them up to their Evangelions.  
  
"Say Asuka." Shinji started as Rei and Mia lent on the walls of the elevator watching the lights flash by.  
  
"What?" she snapped.  
  
"Why did you become an Eva pilot?"  
  
"To show the world how great I am of course" she answered flicking her hair back with self-pride gleaming in her.  
  
"So it is a way of proving that you exist?" he asked in plain form.  
  
"Yeah I guess you could say that" she shrugged.  
  
"Why don't you ask wonder girl or Mia?" she asked cruelly.  
  
"Rei and I have already talked with Ayanami about it" Shinji said looking at Rei who just said nothing.  
  
"What about Mia?" Asuka said evilly.  
  
"Why do you pilot Eva Mia?" Shinji asked and she closed her eyes before opening them quickly as if she had just seen something that she didn't want to, as if it had frightened her.  
  
"Um, I don't know" she lied trailing off.  
  
"What about you Shinji, why do you do this?" Asuka asked.  
  
"I don't know either" Shinji answered blankly.  
  
"What are you stupid?" Asuka snapped. "I bet Mia is like me and wants to show off her talent" she smiled and the elevator stopped at the top floor.  
  
"Maybe I am." Shinji said quietly. As they exited the elevator the P.A system stated that it was 20 minutes until estimated impact. 


	8. A steak dinner!

CHAPTER 8  
  
After the children had loaded into their entry plugs and had been launched they waited patiently in their positions for more instructions. Asuka was listening to her Walkman while Rei closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Mia was trying to sense the capability o the Angel but it was still out of reach and Shinji was remembering his conversation with Misato yesterday about why she really joined NERV.  
  
"I mustn't run away," he said to himself as the Eva went off with an alarm.  
  
"All Eva's take you marks!" Misato' voice ordered and they crouched down in their positions.  
  
"Sense abilities" Mia instructed and reading began to appear on her screens.  
  
"All we have is a rough estimation of optional sightings until unit 03 has completed the sense mechanism" Misato said and the nodded. "The Magi will guide you until the distance has reached 10,000 meters, after that it is up to your own judgment and that of unit 03. Remember I am placing my trust in you." she finished and Asuka smirked.  
  
"Come on" Mia said irritated. The children disconnected their umbilical cords and began to run to where the Magi was predicting.  
  
"Let's move out!" Shinji shouted watching as the timer counted down from 5 minutes. All of the Eva's began to run to the guided point before the Magi signal cut out at 17,000 meters.  
  
"What?!" Asuka screamed. "What's happening?"  
  
"The signal has been jammed," Rei said calmly.  
  
"Argh, how will we tell were it will fall?" Shinji asked anxiously.  
  
"Hold on I am trying." Mia said. "Run to co-ordinates 6387 for now" she instructed.  
  
"Are you sure?" Shinji asked.  
  
"I only have an area code for the moment, the AT field is huge I cant sense past it at the moment just keep heading that way!" Mia shouted typing in access codes on her keypad on the side while she ran. "Hurry up hurry up" she repeated to it.  
  
"This area is 1km squared" Asuka said nervously running towards it. Shinji was almost there jumping off a cliff.  
  
"ZAHARIA!" he called out.  
  
"Right I have it, co-ordinates 634872! You need the at fields fully spread for this!" Mia added as Shinji stopped under the Angel at those co- ordinates.  
  
"Spreading AT field!" Shinji said holding the Eva's hands up stopping it. He was straining to keep it up there as Mia ran up and helped him, her AT field wasn't fully spread as she didn't have enough power after using the sense system so her Eva began to cripple under the shock.  
  
"Asuka, Rei hurry up!" Shinji called out.  
  
"I am coming!" Asuka said running up and holding it up with Rei no more than a microsecond behind her.  
  
"Do it now!" Shinji shouted and Rei dug her progression knife into the Angel's AT field breaking through it.  
  
"Eat this!" Asuka screamed digging her progression knife into the Angel's eye. It collapsed on top of them exploding causing the Eva's only minor damage.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After the battle the children were instructed to get changes and report back to Misato once they had done so. Mia walked back with Asuka as they had both taken the longest to get changed; Asuka because she wanted to look prettier and Mia because she wasn't used to getting out of the suits.  
  
"Hmm that angel got what it deserved," Asuka said grinning. "And attempting to destroy NERV! It should have seen the Eva's coming," she kept rambling on but Mia tuned out as they walked into the command center.  
  
All four of them filed up in a line before Misato who smiled at them. Asuka smiled back.  
  
"Our wireless communications have been restored" An instructor, said. "We are receiving a message from commander Ikari in Antarctica," he stated and Mia looked across at Shinji who was in awe at this statement.  
  
"Connect him please," Misato instructed.  
  
"Yes ma'am" he replied brining up Commander Ikari through a sound only screen.  
  
"I apologize sir" Misato began. "My irresponsible judgment has caused unit 01 to concur some damage, I take full responsibility"  
  
"That is not a problem, destroying the angel's is the Eva's purpose. It was fortunate that the amount of damage was minimal. Excellent work Major Katsuragi" Commander Ikari said.  
  
"Thank you commander" Misato replied.  
  
"And on that subject is the pilot of unit 01 there?" he requested and Shinji suddenly was more alert.  
  
"Yes" he answered.  
  
"I just read the report, good work Shinji," he said and Shinji had to pull himself together.  
  
"Oh thank you" he finally came out with.  
  
"Now Major Katsuragi before I leave the rest of this in your hands I want to ask you how the Magi responded to the angels jamming?" he asked and Misato drew in a deep breath.  
  
"We were fully blocked out during the attack sir, it was credit to unit 03 as the sense mechanism was used rather than the Magi," she answered and he said nothing for a moment.  
  
"Unit 03 was already equipped with Sense mechanism?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, we were unable whether it would fulfill requirements so we set it to operational believing that the Magi could back it up, it was fortunate that we had done so due to the jamming" Misato answered awaiting his reply eagerly.  
  
"That is fortunate, make sure that unit 01 and unit 03 are fully restored before 00 and 02" he said before cutting out.  
  
"Yes sir" Misato answered for a moment she became puzzled and though to herself 'why unit 01 and 03? 02 and 00 were created first.'  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Now you have to fulfill you promise," Asuka said as the four children and Misato traveled by train passing the stop 'New Miyanoshita'. Shinji rested his head in his hands as the train stopped.  
  
"Of course I will!" Misato said waving her hand. I have withdrawn enough so that I can pay for a French dinner!" she said livelily. 'Of course now I am broke until pay day' she thought to herself in vein.  
  
They got off the train and walked along the street for a while, Asuka was gossiping about her day to Misato while Shinji, Rei and Mia said nothing to each other walking behind them. Shinji found the situation awkward so he broke the silence.  
  
"That was close today," he said feeling better now that it wasn't so quiet other than Asuka yapping.  
  
"Yeah, thank god for Sense eh?" Mia smiled and Rei still said nothing.  
  
"Why so quiet Rei?" Mia asked and Rei looked at her for a moment Mia thought that Rei would say something but instead she just looked away.  
  
"Here we go, a ramen place," Asuka said stopping at a small stall in the middle of the street.  
  
"Are you sure." Misato began.  
  
"Yes we know how poor you are Misato so this will be fine" Asuka said sitting down and the others did so too. Rei sat on the end with Mia in- between her and Asuka and Shinji beside Misato. "And even wonder girl says she will join us for ramen noodles"  
  
"Ok then lets order" Misato shrugged.  
  
"I'll have the garlic ramen with no roast pork please," Rei said.  
  
"I'll have sharks fin soup ramen with roast pork.super size it!" Asuka squealed taking in the smell.  
  
"I will have the same in a medium" Misato said.  
  
"I will go the sweet chili ramen with lamb," Shinji said.  
  
"I think I will try the sushi rolls thanks," Mia said and Shinji looked across at her.  
  
"Try them?" he asked.  
  
"I have never had Japanese food before so I guess I should try something a little different" she grinned as the food was passed to them.  
  
"There you go," he said handing out the plates.  
  
"Say Misato," Shinji started.  
  
"What?" Misato asked slurping the soup.  
  
"I think I finally understood the good part about being praised by someone when I heard my fathers words today" he answered twirling the chopsticks in the noodles. "And I also realized that the reason I pilot my Eva is to hear those words from him" Shinji watched as noodles dangled from Misato's mouth as if the moment was stilled.  
  
"Wait a second that's why you pilot Eva?" Asuka asked with a weird face. "Gees you really are an idiot" she said as Mia almost spat out her raw bits of fish.  
  
"Eww it isn't cooked" she said with a squirmy face and they all laughed at her. 


	9. Ireul

CHAPTER 9  
  
The next day the children had to complete a harmonics test, however this time it was set just a little differently.  
  
"WHAT?!" Asuka yelped. "You want me to take my clothes off again?"  
  
"The next chamber is an ultra clean environment, just taking a shower and changing your undergarments is insufficient," Ritsuko explained.  
  
"Why do I have to go though all of this for just an autopilot test?" Asuka whined.  
  
"With the advance of time Eva technology also needs to advance. To do so we need a constant influx of new data" Ritsuko clarified. "Now get undressed"  
  
"Awe!" all four children complained. Moments later the children were standing in a small chamber that had a screen running across its middle and a number above it stating which pilot was which.  
  
"Alright I am here just the way you wanted" Asuka snapped. "Butt naked run through the wash cycle seventeen times!" Mia laughed at her and straightened her face as Asuka poked her tongue out at her.  
  
"Sure it wasn't eighteen?" Mia asked and Asuka tried to count.  
  
"Probably" she stamped her foot.  
  
"Now I want all four of you to stay that way as you walk through the room and board the entry plug," Ritsuko ordered through a speaker system.  
  
"What?!" Asuka shouted and Shinji went bright red, Mia wrapped her arms around herself and Rei did nothing.  
  
"Don't worry the video recorders have been turned off, we do respect your privacy" Ritsuko apologized.  
  
"That isn't the point, this is a very personal thing!" Asuka retorted folding her arms.  
  
"The purpose of this test is to remove interference from your plug suits, and to monitor the harmonics directly from your bodies" Ritsuko stated. "Asuka this is an order"  
  
"All right but I don't want anyone peeking OK," she snapped and the cameras turned off. "I still don't approve," she snapped as the shades opened. "Well I am not going first, Shinji you go"  
  
"Why me?" he asked with his heart skipping a beat.  
  
"We're the same it isn't as bad, there are three of us and only one of you move" Asuka ordered and he closed his eyes walking briskly to the door and getting out as soon as he could. Asuka, Mia and Rei followed entering their plugs after Shinji had done so.  
  
"All pilots ready for entry"  
  
"Start the test sequence," Ritsuko instructed.  
  
"Beginning test, initiate autopilot recording. Inserting simulation plug"  
  
"Connecting the simulation bodies to the system"  
  
After a half hour of the test Ritsuko enabled the communication connection between the Eva's and he commanding central.  
  
"How do you feel?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"It feels odd" Rei answered.  
  
"Yeah, it is different from the other times" Shinji added.  
  
"Something is wrong with my senses" Asuka said looking around her. "My right arm is the only thing that is clear, everything else is fuzzy"  
  
"Was that a vibration?" Mia asked quietly looking around her plug, she could have sworn that she felt something move.  
  
"Rei, imagine moving your right hand" Ritsuko said.  
  
"Right" Rei answered grabbing the control and pulling it backwards. The Eva's hand moved slightly.  
  
"Data collection is coming along nicely" Maya stated reading the computer screens.  
  
"Everything seems good so far," Ritsuko thought aloud. "Return the Magi to their normal state" she requested.  
  
"Connecting the simulation plugs to the Eva's via the simulation bodies"  
  
"Contact with Eva 00 has been confirmed"  
  
"AT field will be generated on 2"  
  
Mia jumped as she heard the alert alarms going off. She looked around to see red sings flashing that she couldn't read without her glasses. The command room went silent and the children felt half panicky, what was happening?  
  
Suddenly Rei screamed and all of them looked over to Eva unit 00.  
  
"Rei!" Misato cried out.  
  
"Why can't we hear them?" Shinji shouted puling the controls but all it did was twitch the arms.  
  
Suddenly the children were blasted upwards and they all fell backwards into their seats.  
  
"What's going on!"? Asuka screamed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
2 hours later after the children were still trapped inside their entry plugs Shinji finally spoke.  
  
"What's going on outside?" he asked to no one in particular. Rei sat there in silence while Asuka screamed and fidgeted. Mia just felt restless and wanted out of the entry plug.  
  
"How am I going to get out of here without my clothes on!?" Asuka shrieked. "Somebody help me!" she cried out. 


	10. Compatibility experiments

CHAPTER 10  
  
First compatibility experiment: Subject: Rei Ayanami  
  
Rei jolted remembering where she was, she was piloting unit 01 for the first time as a compatibility experiment.  
  
"So Rei how does it feel to be piloting unit 01 for the first time?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"It smells like Ikari," she said simply as if asking for someone to pass the salt.  
  
"The sync ratio is almost the same as with unit 00. Unit 00 and unit 01 are almost identical in personal data" Maya stated reading the status reports from the Magi.  
  
"That's what makes this experiment possible," Ritsuko stated. "No compatibility problems connected with Rei or unit 01" Ritsuko finished. "Ok Rei the experiment is over you can get out now"  
  
"Understood" she said as wild colours flashed on neither sides of her.  
  
87th joint operations experiment: Subject: Asuka Langley  
  
"Data bank for unit 02 completed"  
  
"Harmonics are all normal"  
  
"Pilot status is normal"  
  
"Of course" Asuka snapped under her breath.  
  
First compatibility Experiment: Subject: Shinji Ikari  
  
"What about unit 00 personal data?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"Already reconfigured, currently reconfirming"  
  
"The subjects status?" Ritsuko required.  
  
"A bit jittery but no problems in his nerve patterns"  
  
"This is his first time in unit 00" Misato exclaimed.  
  
"Stupid, why should he care which Eva he pilots anyway?" Asuka snapped.  
  
"It makes a difference to Shinji" Misato answered.  
  
"I know that and that is why he is stupid" Asuka retorted. "So why aren't you running one of these tests with me or Mia?" Asuka asked maliciously.  
  
"Um, Mia is being tested for unit 01 and Shinji will be tested in 03. We didn't think that you would want to pilot any other Eva but your own" Misato lied.  
  
"Yeah, that's true isn't it?" Asuka smiled.  
  
'I don't know if unit 02 would ever be compatible with any other Eva.' Misato thought to herself.  
  
"Entry has commenced"  
  
"LCL electrolyzed"  
  
"Commencing first connection"  
  
"Shinji how do you feel in unit 00 entry plug?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"It feels kind of weird." he started  
  
"Any sense of incompatibility?" she asked.  
  
"Not like that but it smells like Rei" he answered feeling confused by it himself.  
  
"It smells like what?" Asuka shouted.  
  
"Data received, reconfirming, pattern green"  
  
"Main power supply connection complete"  
  
"All restraints are normal"  
  
"Unit 00 will enter second contact stage"  
  
"How is it?" Misato asked.  
  
"As I thought, his sync ratio is lower than that of unit 01" Ritsuko answered. "Harmonics are all normal.but these are still good readings" she answered and Misato sighed. "This means we can implement our current plan"  
  
"You mean the dummy system?" Maya asked. "I disagree"  
  
"I understand your feelings but we need to be prepared, you'll see" Ritsuko answered but Maya was still unconvinced.  
  
"Initiating third connection" As this was said Shinji grabbed is head and winced painfully.  
  
"What the hell? Something is trying to get into my brain," he said grabbing at his head. "This feeling, this impression.it's Rei's!" as he said this the Eva went completely out of control breaking free of it's restraints.  
  
The Eva pulled away punching at the glass window where Rei was standing. It profusely bashed its head on the wall as they disabled the power supply. Within seven seconds the Eva stopped dead leaning on the wall.  
  
"Get the pilot out of there!" Misato ordered and the personal ran to rescue him from the Eva. Minutes later Shinji was brought up to the control central.  
  
"Shinji are you OK?" Misato asked shaking him by his shoulders.  
  
"Yes, it was just that. it was like an impression of Rei was trying to get into my mind." he said and she looked puzzled.  
  
"Cancel the rest of the tests" Misato ordered.  
  
"We can still check compatibility with Mia and unit 01" Ritsuko said and Misato reluctantly agreed.  
  
First compatibility Experiment: Subject: Mia Zaharia  
  
"How do you feel?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"Fine." Mia answered looking around. Her heart was thumping inside of her as she looked around the entry plug; it was so much more different than hers. She was used to the sense mechanism taking up the left hand side and the controls were smaller and more rounded.  
  
"Calm down Mia, your nerve pulse will effect the experiment," Ritsuko said and Mia breathed slowly and deeply.  
  
"Yes ma'am" she said closing her eyes and the plug filled with LCL. As she sat there she thought that she could see flickers of light but guessed that she was imagining it.  
  
"Commencing first connection"  
  
"Do you sense any signs of incompatibility?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"No.but it smells like Shinji" she said perplexed, do Eva's smell like their pilots or was it something else?  
  
She looked behind her as she heard a deep voice much like that of commander Ikari. Shouting, "LEAVE!"  
  
"What?" she said aloud confused. She found herself looking straightforward at a grave stone reading Yui Ikari and then of a bright flash of light that was almost blinding. Her mind felt death and fear as she tried to determine what was happening.  
  
"The test is over now, thanks Mia" Ritsuko said and the Eva shut down. The images disappeared and Mia felt really confused. Was that Shinji's mind?  
  
Second compatibility Experiment: Subject: Shinji Ikari  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this Shinji?" Ritsuko asked again.  
  
"I am fine" he assured her as the LCL filled the plug. He sniffed the LCL and could smell Mia. "Strange."  
  
"Go to first stage"  
  
"Data received, reconfirming, pattern green"  
  
"Main power supply connection complete"  
  
Shinji sat there as calmly as possible so that he would not have a repeat of unit 00. He looked around the Eva and realized how unfamiliar it was to him. On his left side was a whole bunch of controls he had never seen before; he assumed that they were the sense mechanism. He lightly couched the controls, which were slightly smaller than that of unit 01 and closed his eyes jumping.  
  
He saw darkness and felt emptiness and pain as he tried to, open his eyes but it was all just darkness. He could smell blood and hear screams of pain over and over again and again. As he tried to pull himself away he felt as though he was watching something so horrific that his soul couldn't move as if it was frozen. There it was again. The smell of blood, it's taste and texture. He could feel it in-between his fingers.  
  
Words that Mia had said repeated in his mind over and over. 'Disturbed mind', 'embedded in my soul', 'weak person' and 'loneliness'.  
  
"It is attacking my mind!" Shinji screamed out as the emergency alarms went off.  
  
"Contamination is spreading!" Maya shouted.  
  
"What is wrong with him?" Misato screamed.  
  
"It is like the Eva is attacking his mind, he is close to contamination!" Ritsuko shouted.  
  
"Get him out!" Mia shouted.  
  
"What?" Misato looked at her baffled.  
  
"The Eva's mind is our mind, just get him out of 03" Mia warned and Misato turned and thought to herself. If the Eva's mind was like the pilot's.were Rei and Mia unstable?  
  
"Get him out of the Eva!" Misato said and they aborted the experiment before Eva 03 could use its power supply. "What's Shinji's status?"  
  
"He is normal with minimal contamination, but he is unconscious"  
  
"Damn it!" Misato cursed. 


	11. Moonlight Sonata

CHAPTER 11  
  
"AHH don't touch me you pervert! Kaji help me!" Asuka screamed hanging up the mobile phone. "That ought to do it" she said satisfied with herself as the class rep walked over to her.  
  
"Are you OK Asuka?" she asked and Asuka sighed banging her head on the wall.  
  
"No I want to go out tomorrow with Kaji but he is always busy. I keep calling and calling him but he is never there anymore" she said sorrowfully.  
  
"So you will be available tomorrow?" the class rep asked happily and Asuka looked over at her cautiously.  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Great then I have a favour to ask you" she smiled. "You see I have this cousin who wants to go out on a date with you so could you please?"  
  
"WHAT? Go out on a date?" Asuka screamed and the class rep put on puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Please!"  
  
"Fine"  
  
* * *  
  
Later that night Asuka and Mia were lying on the floor in front of the TV watching a soap opera while stuffing their faces with chips.  
  
"You're the one who caused us to break up!" the girl on the TV said slapping the guys face.  
  
"Ha, you go girl" Mia laughed putting chips in her mouth.  
  
"I am home!"" Misato called out walking into the lounge room and seeing Mia and Asuka watching TV. Asuka was lying upside down while Mia was just lying on her stomach.  
  
"What's happening?" Asuka asked.  
  
"I know and I regret that," the guy on the TV said holding his face.  
  
"You had better go to bed Asuka, don't you have a date tomorrow?" Misato asked and Asuka rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah with some med student" she said rather unenthusiastically and Mia giggled. "Hey shut up"  
  
"I am sorry" Mia apologized before laughing again.  
  
"Oh Misato" Asuka sat up and threw the chips at Mia who had to cover her face in a pillow to stop her laughing so loudly. "Can I use your lavender perfume?"  
  
"Absolutely not" Misato snapped.  
  
"Oh meanie" Asuka said looking away.  
  
"It is just not for kids" Misato said changing into her pajamas as Mia tried to control herself. "Is Shinji in his room?"  
  
"Yeah, he has been shut up in their since he got home" Asuka answered. "I don't think he wants to meet his father. If he hates him so much why doesn't he just say so?"  
  
"He hates his father?" Mia asked.  
  
"He doesn't really hate him. That's the problem" Misato said doing up her top and walking towards Shinji's room.  
  
"Shinji?" she called out and Mia tried to fight Asuka for the rest of the chips. Asuka won and Mia got up walking over to the cupboard.  
  
"This stupid girl still likes the guy, it is obvious" Asuka said referring to the soap opera stars on the TV.  
  
"Stupid eh? She need to move on," Mia laughed opening a new bag of chips. "Unlike you and med boy"  
  
"Shut up Mia!" Asuka threw the pillow at her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next day Mia was left with Pen-pen as each of the others left one after the other. Pen-pen looked sad.  
  
"Don't be sad, I won't bother you" Mia smiled grabbing her book and a piece of toast looking forward to bludging the whole day away.  
  
At about 2 o'clock Mia put her 2nd book down and stretched her arms above her head. She took her glasses off and placed them on top of her book walking over to where her piano was. She touched the black wooden top and lifted the lid that had sunlight beaming over its glossy surface.  
  
Her fingers touched the keys lightly as she began to play a song that reflected how she felt, sorrowful and emptiness. The tune was slow and loud as she hit the foot peddles slowly moving her hands across the keys loosing herself in the music.  
  
She closed her eyes and kept playing not noticing Shinji come in. He stood there for a moment watching her play. Her fingers moved magically over the keys with her waving brown hair reflecting the sunlight. He recognized the tune and tiptoed into his room grabbing his cello.  
  
He slid a chair out silently and positioned his fingers waiting for her to start the next verse as she did he began to play adding the deep sound of the cello with the piano strings. Mia's heart thumped as she heard the cello looking at Shinji's reflection on the piano cover. She smiled continuing to play as he backed her up, the song was so much better with the cello in the background and she felt sad as the song came to a stop.  
  
She turned around to find Shinji with a slight tear in his eye. Just as she did he wiped his eye with his hand breathing out loudly.  
  
"I didn't know you played" she smiled. "Why are you sad?"  
  
"I went to my mothers grave today and talked to my father properly" he answered. "I can sometimes get caught up in the music"  
  
"Me too. I reckon my worst is the 'Moonlight Sonata' by Beethoven. I just find it a powerful song," she said and he nodded. "The cello is beautiful," she said getting up and crouching beside it running her fingers along the wooden body.  
  
"Your fingers are long, you would play it well," he said almost kicking himself for saying that.  
  
"Really?" she asked and he smiled.  
  
"Yeah, I can show you how if you like" he said pulling a stool over in front of him. Mia blushed at first but got up and sat on the stool. He handed her the bow and the cello as she placed her fingers on the strings. She slid the bow over the strings and the cello screeched.  
  
"On second thoughts I don't think so" Mia said taking the bow off the strings.  
  
"No hold on a minute" Shinji said pulling his seat right up behind the stool. He took her hand that she was holding the bow with and placed his other hand n top of hers.  
  
"Let my hand lead and yours follow," he said and she bit her lip as he put her fingers on the strings pushing down on them. He then guided her hand hat was holding the bow over the strings. It screeched again and Mia sighed.  
  
"Damn it" she snapped.  
  
"Just relax will you, you're trying to strangle it. Just be firm with it rather than trying to kill it," he said and they tried again. This time there was a different reaction. The cello hummed a deep tune and Mia tied to let Shinji lead her hands over the strings. It almost felt as if he was playing through her, as if she was piloting unit 01. The cello continued to hum deep sounds like raising the souls and Mia felt almost depressed when the song finished.  
  
"See you could do it" Shinji smiled and she turned to face him. It was a strange feeling that caught her, as she was only one centimeter from his face, their noses were almost touching as they just stared at one another for a while before Shinji leaned towards her. She closed her eyes as his lips lightly touched hers. She let him kiss her feeling that it was wrong because if this meant anything to him it could affect their piloting.  
  
It was weird because although she new the consequences she didn't pull away and neither did he. Minutes went by before he stopped kissing her and she opened her eyes to find him almost beetroot in the face.  
  
"So what was that song you mentioned before? The moonlight Sonata?" he asked awkwardly and she nodded.  
  
"Do you know it?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah" he squeaked and she got up moving her stool away. She handed him the bow and sat at the piano beginning the song. At the beginning of the first verse he began to play as well. His heart was almost pounding a hole into him. 'Did she mean anything y kissing him back?' 'Did he mean something by kissing her?" 'would it affect their piloting?'. Many thoughts rushed through his head but suddenly as he listened to the music his heart ached as memories of his mother came back again.  
  
Mia pressed harder on the keys and the piano played louder. She could feel her home memories boring into her soul again ad she felt like screaming. No, she couldn't feel anymore suffering; she didn't want to see those memories anymore. All she wanted to do was forget them. She could hear Shinji sniffing almost behind her as she held back her own tears. The song came to a close and she took her shaky hands away from the keys resting them on her lap trembling from head to toe.  
  
A sudden clapping made them both jump as Asuka appeared behind them.  
  
"That was really good, I didn't know you played," she said looking at Shinji who was rubbing his eyes on his sleeve.  
  
"I started playing when I was five, but I am not very good." he said getting u and putting the cello away.  
  
"I figured you played because you came with the piano," Asuka said and Mia nodded closing the lid on the piano and grabbing a soda from the fridge.  
  
"You're back pretty early Asuka, how was the date?" Shinji asked as Mia picked up her glasses and a book.  
  
"Boring" she moaned.  
  
"I thought you were having dinner with him too?" Mia smirked leaning on the doorframe.  
  
"Well while e was waiting in line for the roller coaster I just left" she said merely.  
  
"That's kind of harsh" Shinji said.  
  
"Oh, Kaji is the only real man in my life" she sighed lying on the floor and Mia walked into her room searching for another book.  
  
About 2 hours later the phone rang and Asuka stared at Shinji. "Go get it" she snapped lying back down on the lounge. Mia was on the other just reading another book.  
  
"Hey Misato.Right.OK.See you later" Shinji hung up and walked back over into the lounge room sitting on the floor.  
  
"Who was it?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Misato, she'll be late so she said not t wait up for her" Shinji passed on the message.  
  
"What! So she wont be back until tomorrow morning?" Asuka said drying her hair with the towel that she had just unwrapped from around he head.  
  
"I don't think so, she was a bit out of it" Shinji answered. After another hour of boredom, Shinji was reading a manga in the doorway of his room and Mia was spread out in the lounge room with homework all around her.  
  
"Hey Shinji, you want to kiss me?" Asuka asked and Mia's ears picked up. Her glasses slid down her nose and she pushed them back up again.  
  
"What?" Shinji said sitting upright.  
  
"You know kissing, you have never kissed a girl before?" Asuka asked and Mia covered her mouth from laughing. Shinji looked over at Mia biting his lip but she urged him on almost. He nodded at Asuka.  
  
"So let's do it" Asuka said getting up and Shinji freaked.  
  
"But why?" he asked cowering back.  
  
"Because I am bored," he said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Don't you have homework or something?" Shinji asked her.  
  
"What is it? Are you afraid to kiss a girl on the anniversary of your mother's death? Is she watching you from heaven?" Asuka snapped cruelly.  
  
"It is not that." Shinji said acquiescently.  
  
"Or are you scared?" she smirked.  
  
"I am not scared!" Shinji said getting up.  
  
"You brushed your teeth right?" Asuka asked and he nodded Mia watched on wishing that she had a camera but also feeling a speck of jealousy. Shinji nodded. "Then here I come" she strutted forward and stopped right in front of him. They both stared at each other as Mia let her glasses slide down her nose and watched on.  
  
Asuka leaned in and Shinji closed his eyes tightly as if it was a kiss of death. Suddenly Asuka pulled back and Mia was going to scream through anticipation.  
  
"Stop breathing it tickles me," she said grabbing his nose with her fingers and pinching it. She then push forward and started kissing him while Mia held her breath as well afraid to laugh. She watched on as Shinji went the colour of a tomato, the fridge door opened and Pen-pen walked out looking up at them before closing the door going back inside the fridge.  
  
Mia half snorted into her hands as Shinji went a blue green colour. His fists were clenched near his hipbone twitching. Mia nearly exploded in laughter as they looked like Siamese twins joined at the head because both of their arms were by their sides except Asuka's that was still holding onto Shinji's nose. Shinji finally pulled back gasping for breath and Mia finally lost control of her rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter.  
  
"EW!" Asuka screamed running into the bathroom and brushing her teeth. She began to gargle as Mia finally clamed down and Shinji sat back on the floor sighing.  
  
"I should never kiss to pass time!" she moaned gargling more. Shinji looked over at Mia who had stopped laughing and started reading again.  
  
"Hey Mia" he finally asked after staring at her for a while.  
  
"Mmhmm" she looked up from her book.  
  
"Why do you read all of the time, I mean I read but not every waking moment" Shinji asked.  
  
"I guess I just like the fact that a book can take you away from what is real, it an take you into another person's life in which you can live their life rather than your own. I guess it just helps me escape," she said shrugging.  
  
"Maybe I should read more" Shinji muttered under his breath. He heard a woman's voice and a man's coming from outside and opened the door. "Kaji," he said and Asuka pushed passed him.  
  
"KAJI!" Asuka screamed happily.  
  
"Hi Mr. Kaji" Mia said politely bowing as he came in carrying Misato. He placed Misato on her bed before walking out to where the children were.  
  
"Now Mia it is not Mr. Kaji, you do not work for me. Just call me Kaji," he said smiling and she nodded.  
  
"Kaji" she said.  
  
"Well I will be leaving now," he said pulling his jacket down.  
  
"Why don't you just stay with us?" Asuka smiled sweetly but he shook his head.  
  
"I would never live it down if I went to work dressed like this" he said referring to his suit.  
  
"Awe you could do it" Asuka said following him while Shinji and Mia just stood watching her. "Come on Kaji"  
  
"Later Asuka" he snapped and she let go of his arm feeling disappointed.  
  
"Lavender perfume" she whispered and Mia walked over to her wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Take care of Misato" Kaji said closing the door.  
  
"What's wrong Asuka?" Shinji asked. "You look sad"  
  
"That's because you kissed me!" she screeched pulling away from Mia and storming off into her room. Shinji shrugged walking passed Mia.  
  
"I am going to bed," she said quietly walking to her bedroom door. Shinji stopped at his sliding the door open. "Oh Shinji." Mia stopped him and he faced her.  
  
"Yeah" he said looking over at her.  
  
"You're not that bad of a kisser, Asuka is just angry and upset" Mia said comfortingly and he smiled.  
  
"Thanks Mia" he smiled back as she walked into his room. 


	12. Leliel

CHAPTER 12  
  
The day after Shinji met his father and Asuka's date. It was Shinji's turn to cook breakfast.  
  
Misato was sculling beer and as she tasted the soup she wriggled her nose.  
  
"Shinji, did you change this soups flavour somehow?" she asked and Mia looked up from her book and breakfast. This time she was reading the NERV manual for the first time since she had gotten to Tokyo-3.  
  
"Yeah it is dried fish flavour from Ritsuko" Shinji said smiling. Mia kept eating toast before getting up.  
  
"It was still delicious" Mia said as a loud scream came fro the bathroom.  
  
"IT IS TOO HOT!" Asuka screamed as she opened the door.  
  
"I am sorry" Shinji said quickly.  
  
"Stop apologizing, do you really think it is your fault!" she asked whilst still screaming. "Apologies are you conditional reflex to any kind of confrontation"  
  
"I am sorry"  
  
"There you go again! Why do you have to punish yourself for everything!" Asuka shouted and Misato waved her hand.  
  
"Yeah you know that is just Shinji's way" Misato explained.  
  
"It is just so easy for you to accept his stupid habits isn't it?" Asuka pointed at her. "Haven't you been just a little to easy on him lately!"  
  
"Have I?" Misato asked and Shinji just looked on while Mia tried to ignore everything.  
  
"Maybe you and Kaji have hooked up again, but just because you are happy doesn't mean you can ignore us!" Asuka screamed and Mia smiled while drinking.  
  
"There is nothing between Kaji and I" Misato denied untruthfully.  
  
The phone rang three times before the message bank got it. 'Hey Katsuragi I found a bar for tonight that serves a decent drink, how bout tonight, bye' Kaji left a message and Mia excused herself before she erupted in laughter while Misato sat awkwardly on the chair.  
  
"I have never known anyone involved in such and indecent relationship!" Asuka snapped with her hands on her hips. "And you're supposed to be our guardian! What a hypocrite!" Asuka slammed the bathroom door.  
  
"So are the tests this morning?" Shinji asked and Misato nodded.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Later at Nerv HQ the harmonics test was being performed again much to Asuka and Mia's dismay, as both were sick of doing the same routine over and over again.  
  
"B type harmonica, all systems green"  
  
"Projected adjustment values have been cleared"  
  
"You look tired Misato"  
  
"Yes for a lot of private reasons" Misato said smiling innocently.  
  
"Kaji?" Ritsuko said spitefully.  
  
"SHUT YOUR FACE!" Misato snapped. "How is the third child doing?"  
  
"Take a look" Maya said smiling. Misato bent down to look at the computer screens.  
  
"Wow I hope knowing this will boost his confidence" Misato smiled. "Can you hear me Shinji?"  
  
"Misato how were my scores!" Shinji called out.  
  
"Great you're number one!" Misato said smiling and Mia smiled as well.  
  
"You deserve it," she muttered under her breath.  
  
"Lower the graph depth on unit 03 to 0.2" Ritsuko instructed looking at the previous test scores.  
  
"But ma'am she is already at border line"  
  
"Trust me, I want to try something" Ritsuko said and he lowered it. Mia's eye widened and she concentrated breathing hard. The bar breached going red and the alarms went off.  
  
"We need to heighten it!"  
  
"Just wait!" Ritsuko ordered and Mia clenched her fists as the bar sustained.  
  
"I knew it" Ritsuko smiled.  
  
"What?" Misato asked.  
  
"Mia changes herself to suit the Eva" Ritsuko smiled. "She is above unit 00 and 02 but below 01"  
  
"So what?" Misato asked perplexed.  
  
"She changes her mind to that of the Eva. She is like a mirror, you move you hand she copies you. However if you move to much to quickly she cant keep up until she has learned how" Ritsuko said excited.  
  
"So she can handle up to 0.89 contamination because she has learn how to cope with it?" Misato asked.  
  
"I believe she can push to 0.92 because she learns within a 0.3 depth rate," Ritsuko answered.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Five minutes until the evacuation of the western district is completed"  
  
"The target is advancing slowly at approximately 5 km/h"  
  
"You're late major Katsuragi!" Ritsuko snapped.  
  
"Sorry!"  
  
"No excuse"  
  
"What is going on? The observation center in Fuji."  
  
"Didn't detect it, it just appeared above us"  
  
"Pattern orange no AT field detected"  
  
"What is this?" Misato asked mystified.  
  
"A new kind of Angel?" Ritsuko wondered aloud.  
  
"The magi are withholding their judgment on that," Maya stated.  
  
"Damn it, another situation like this and commander Ikari isn't here again" Misato snapped almost under her breath as she stared on at the gigantic circle in the air that was covered in white and black patterns. "Get the Eva's launched around a safe perimeter. They can advance from there," Misato ordered.  
  
"Yes Ma'am" Maya and the other personnel replied as the four Eva's were launched.  
  
"Can you all hear me?" Misato asked. I have sent you all of the target's data. That is literally all we know right now. You will have to rely on nit 03's sense mechanism when you approach the angel. Do not attack until you know its limits" Misato ordered. "Unit Mia is close enough you are to approach it carefully and observe its reactions and if possible try to lure it out of the city. I want you all to back up each other"  
  
"Yes ma'am but don't you think that Shinji ought to be taking the point position?" Asuka said coldly and Mia stopped her Eva waiting to hear this. "Well this IS the job for the highest rated, bravest, synch ratio holder shouldn't it? Or don't you feel up to it Shinji?"  
  
"I can do it" Shinji snapped back at her. "In fact I'll show you how it ought to be done Asuka!" he said with all the confidence he had in him.  
  
"What was that!?" Asuka yelped.  
  
"Hey will the two of you cut it out!" Misato snapped.  
  
"But Misato wasn't that what you said 'you're number one'" Shinji said quoting her.  
  
"Well that was." Misato was lost for a comeback.  
  
"And after all combat is a man's job" Shinji said holding up his thumb before closing the window. Mia and Rei rolled their eyes as Mia kept proceeding cautiously.  
  
"Unit 2 will back up" Asuka said unhappily"  
  
"Unit 00 will back up to" Rei said quietly.  
  
"Unit 03 will back up also" Mia added.  
  
Mia could tell by her sense mechanism that Shinji was proceeding faster than the rest of them toward the angel. She searched for more information but wasn't close enough to the angel.  
  
"Ayanami, Asuka, Mia are you in position yet?" Shinji asked quietly.  
  
"Not yet" Rei replied.  
  
"You know and Eva cant move that fast" Asuka snapped as her power supply cord held her back. She quickly unplugged it grabbing another from a building near her.  
  
"Are you there?" Shinji asked getting agitated. "Mia where are you?"  
  
"I am still trying to get close enough to it" Mia whispered getting slightly irritated herself with not being able to find the data she needed.  
  
'I'll have to stop it myself' Shinji thought to himself. He dived out from behind the building and shot at the angel.  
  
"Shinji don't!" Mia screamed at him as the angle disappeared. A dark shadow appeared under Shinji and his heart skipped a beat.  
  
"What is this? A shadow?" Shinji shouted shooting down and the dark ground that was consuming him. "What the hell is this?! This can't be happening!" he screamed as the Eva sank deeper into the shadow. The angel appeared above him as a giant sphere.  
  
"Shinji get out of there!" Misato shouted.  
  
"Ikari!" Rei screamed.  
  
"You idiot what are you doing!" Asuka cried out.  
  
"Misato help me!" Shinji screamed as he sank deeper to his shoulder unable to pull hi arms out. "What's going on? HELP ME! Can you hear me Misato? MISATO!" The Eva sank below it's jaw as Shinji screamed for help more.  
  
"Unit, 00 02 and 03 where are you?" she shouted as Shinji's feedback became crackled as he sank up to the Eva's eyes in the shadow.  
  
"Coming!" Mia shouted sliding near the shadow grabbing unit 01 but the top of its head armor. She clutched onto it pulling as hard as she could.  
  
"Rei, Asuka help her!" Misato ordered as unit 03 grabbed onto unit 01 arm trying to pull the arm out first. She could still hear Shinji screaming as her Eva's foot got caught in the shadow.  
  
"Oh no! It's got me," Mia screamed as her Eva's foot got caught in the shadow pulling her into it. "ASUKA!" Mia called out for her grabbing her power supply and holding onto it as unit 01 went completely under.  
  
"Shinji!" Misato screamed. "Asuka, Rei help them!"  
  
"That idiot! He can get an A on a test but not in the real world!" Asuka cursed as she bolted toward unit 03. Rei fired at the Angel but it disappeared.  
  
"Asuka be careful!" Ritsuko called out.  
  
"A shadow!" Asuka shrieked as it appeared under her. She quickly jumped onto a building climbing up it. "AHH!" she screamed using her progression knife and axe to climb up the building. "The whole city is sinking"  
  
"Asuka Rei pull back" Misato instructed.  
  
"What?" Mia cried out as her Eva sank deeper into the shadow. All that she could rely on was that she continued holding onto Shinji and the power cord.  
  
"Wait!" Asuka shouted at Misato.  
  
"But unit 01 and 03 are still going under" Rei protested.  
  
"This is an order retreat," Misato said sternly,  
  
"NO!" Mia screamed as her Eva went completely under shrouded in darkness.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Oh well taking matters into his own hands, defying operations. I guess he got what he was asking for," Asuka said superiorly. "Just because he got a little better score than mine, why id he have to go and show me how it was done?" she rambled and Rei just glared at her. "What a dumpkoff" she said in German as Rei strode up to her standing an inch from her face.  
  
"What re my comments about Shinji pissing you off?" Asuka snapped.  
  
"I wonder, do you pilot the Eva's just for the praise of others?" Rei asked her icily.  
  
"NO! I don't need anybodies approval but my own," Asuka snapped back at her.  
  
"Cut it out you two" Misato said hardheartedly. "Asuka is right he acted arbitrarily and without consultation. I will just have to punish him when he gets back" she said staring into the deep sea of Durak.  
  
"What about Mia?" Asuka asked.  
  
"She is holding onto unit 01 and the umbilical cord as far as we know. She is doing a good job but unfortunately we can pull them out because of the weight. We will just have to wait for the cranes from Tokyo-2" Misato answered.  
  
"Will they make it for that long?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Shinji will live for 16 hours at the minimal life support level, but Mia can only live up to 12-14 hours because she is exerting too much energy from the Eva holding on to the umbilical cord and Eva unit 01" Ritsuko answered sneaking up behind them.  
  
"Will you get them out by then?" Rei asked and Ritsuko didn't answer.  
  
* * *  
  
"I never thought sleeping could be so exhausting" Shinji muttered to himself looking at his wrist. He could feel something holding it but nothing was. 'Were they pulling him out?' He pulled the rigger as colours appeared around him.  
  
"Still nothing but white noise. No radar or sonar reflections at all. This space must be too big" he said alone. "It has been 10 hours since I switched to life support mode. My life will end in four or five hours." he looked back at hi wrist.  
  
"What is holding onto me.or who." he asked thinking back to when he was sinking. What colour was the Eva? What did it look like?  
  
A three eyed dragon. black Prussian blue and gold. Mia.  
  
"I am hungry" he sighed relaxing.  
  
* * *  
  
"Am I still here? Am I still holding onto Ikari? Am I still holding onto the world above us?" Mia asked herself opening her eyes. The LCL around her was cloudy and she was finding it hard to breath.  
  
"Why am I in shadow?" she asked herself remembering grabbing onto Shinji and sinking down. "Why did I risk my own life for him? Is it because I am so pitiful that I don't care about myself.no I already know that.does he mean something to me.is his life more important than mine?" she asked herself these questions over and over again and again.  
  
* * *  
  
Shinji opened his eyes and panicked. He was surrounded in cloudy LCL with specks all around him.  
  
"The water is getting cloudy!" he stuttered waving his hand in front of him. "The purification system is breaking down!" He suddenly found himself covering his nose and mouth. A disgusting taste was in his mouth and making him want to vomit. "It smells in here! BLOOD! This place smells like blood!" He grabbed the opening to the Entry plug and pulled frantically trying to open it.  
  
"No, I hate this place, let me out! Why can't I open this lock? Open up! Let me out!" he said punching it. "Misato tell me what's going on. Asuka, Mia, Rei, Ritsuko.father.please someone help me." he begged looking a his arm. He could feel whatever was holding him weakening in its grip.  
  
"Who.oh no Mia let go!" he shouted realizing that she was going to die before him because she was holding onto him and using just the plain life support system. ""Let go!" He screamed at his arm as it tingled.  
  
* * *  
  
"I am so tired, but I am doing nothing.it is so cold in here." Mia whispered to no one. "I mustn't let go to unit 01 or Shinji dies. I mustn't let go of the power cord or we both die.it is so cold in here..." she whispered shivering. Darkness filled her mind as she tried to shake it away.  
  
"No go away. I am not listening to you and I can't see you either!" She screamed quietly at herself referring to visions in her mind. "Someone help me.I don't want to be alone.I don't want to be left by myself with myself." she said pulling at the controls before almost fainting. She leant back and tried to keep her eyes open.  
  
* * *  
  
Shinji found himself sitting in a train carriage staring blankly ahead at the red coloured grate.  
  
"Who's that?" he asked as a beeping noise drew nearer and nearer. "Who."  
  
"Shinji Ikari" a voice answered and he felt puzzled.  
  
"That's me"  
  
"I am you, this self incorporates another self. This self has always been composed of 2 selves," the voice said.  
  
"Two?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Yes, the self that is observed and the self that observes itself" the voice answered rationally. "To elaborate, the Shinji Ikari which exists in your mind, the Shinji Ikari which exists in Misato Katsuragi's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Rei Ayanami's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Asuka Langley's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Mia Zaharia's mind and the Shinji Ikari in Gendo Ikari's mind" it answered simply and Shinji felt that he was just going crazy. "All are different Shinji Ikari's, but each of them is a true Shinji Ikari. You fear the Shinji Ikari's that exists in other people's minds.  
  
"I am just afraid of being hated." Shinji told the voice.  
  
"You're afraid of being hurt" it corrected him.  
  
"Who is bad?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Father is. The father who deserted us" the voice declared.  
  
"No I am the one who is bad," Shinji snapped. Memories snapped into his mind of people trying to fix his answer in which it wasn't him who was at fault.  
  
"Will you spend the rest of your life remembering things that people have said even though you are deceiving yourself?"  
  
"If I trust their words I can go on living," Shinji answered getting frustrated with this voice. He didn't want to hear this.  
  
"Unless you allow yourself to change you will be unable to continue" the voice said coldly.  
  
"I don't want to her this!"  
  
"See you are running away from reality again" it said in a mocking tone.  
  
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed opening his eyes to find and even cloudier cockpit. He shivered holding his arm that had pins and needles in it.  
  
"The heating system and the oxygen are running out." he muttered shivering. "I am cold" he balled up as his suit began to beep quietly. "Even the suit is giving up.this is the end. I am so tired of everything." he said closing his eyes and allowing darkness o consume him.  
  
A few visions faded and appeared in his mind. Rei smiling at him for the first time after the battle against the diamond shaped angel. Asuka and him defeating an angel together on their first meeting.Misato's kindness even though she has to put up with his cowardice and sneakiness.His father praising him.Mia, how she wanted to listen and pointed out the good bits of life even though she said that she was hurting.how he longed to see them all one more time.  
  
His arm tingled again and the feeling that something was holding onto him disappeared. A soft touch caressed his face and he opened his eyes to find his mother's soul holding him.  
  
"Mother?" he asked astounded.  
  
* * *  
  
"Both Eva's are standing by ready to spread there AT fields"  
  
"T-60 seconds till mine drop" As this was said the shadow ball in the sky ripped open and blood poured out everywhere.  
  
"What the?" Asuka stuttered as an arm reached out pulling at the shadow. The sea of Dirak suddenly erupted like a volcano as blood poured out of its darkness. Suddenly the dark sea waved up and down like a furious storm as the head of unit 01 pushed its way out of the angel. A low roaring voice came from within the Eva as everyone looked on amazed and mystified. 'How did the Eva move by itself?'  
  
"My god.is that what I am piloting?" Asuka asked as Rei looked on speechless. Unit 01 jumped from the shadow landing on it's to feet below it as unit 03 fell down with it still clutching the arm of unit 01.  
  
"She is still holding unit 01!" Ritsuko shouted bewildered. The Eva stood with its arms clenched staring coldly at Nerv. Asuka was unable to breathe.  
  
"SHINJI? SHINJI? SHINJI?" Misato screamed opening the capsule and shaking him by his shoulders. "Shinji are you alright?" he opened his eyes a little bit and she bust out in tears hugging him.  
  
"I just wanted to see them again," he muttered as she sobbed on his shoulder.  
  
"Didn't you say you were going to punish him?" Asuka asked callously.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Shinji opened his eyes and looked around the hospital room. Beside him Rei was dressed in her school uniform.  
  
"You can rest today," she said. "We'll take care of everything" she stood up and walked towards the door.  
  
"But I feel fine now" Shinji said.  
  
"Well that's good for you then" Rei smiled and Shinji's heart thudded in his chest.mother.  
  
As Rei opened the door he said Asuka peer in before pulling back hoping that she wasn't noticed. Shinji laughed uncontrollably to himself before looking across the room where Mia was sleeping. He got up a little wobbly at first before walking over to her bed.  
  
He smiled at her looking at how her long wavy brown hair was covering the pillow completely. She opened her eyes slowly and sat up.  
  
"Hey" he said as something caught in his throat.  
  
"Hey" she smiled back.  
  
"Thanks for before" he said quickly.  
  
"What?" she asked looking around.  
  
"For trying to save me when I got swallowed by the sea of Dirak" he answered and she nodded.  
  
"I tried and obviously failed. I was hoping the Asuka would help me pull you out but I guess I had a bit of bad luck," she said tiredly.  
  
"You could have die holding onto me.they said you let go of the umbilical cord after 10 hours but you held onto unit 01 the whole time" he said timidly.  
  
"Did I? I wasn't sure whether I was holding onto the umbilical cable then, I wasn't sure of anything except not to let go," she answered and he felt grateful.  
  
"Yeah, thanks again though. I knew you were holding onto me" he said and nearly kicked himself for it.  
  
"How?" she asked.  
  
"Well I knew something was holding onto me because my arm had pins and needles and then I remembered that it was your Eva that grabbed 01's Armour" Shinji answered cracking his knuckles.  
  
"I guess mine being black with three eyes also gives it way from 02 and 0 as they are red and white" Mia told him.  
  
"Hey, this may sound strange but did you see things when you were inside the Eva?" he asked and she bit her lip.  
  
"Kind of" she answered tentatively.  
  
"What things?" he asked and she scratched her head.  
  
"Just memories of before, there not good ones and I don't want to burden you with them" she warned. "Did you see anything?"  
  
"A bit, mostly of what I have already spoken to you before of" he answered and she nodded.  
  
"Oh yes no school!" she said looking at the clock.  
  
"Yeah no school" Shinji said puzzled by the way she changed the subject to get out of telling him her past again. 


	13. Mia moves out

CHAPTER _  
  
The next day at school the teacher began to call the role after making them rise and bow before him, this teacher was a substitute and he was strangely marking the role three times today, it was now the third time he had marked it just before lunch time.  
  
"Let's see Ayanami is absent again today.so is Mr. Aida." he trailed off and Shinji turned around to face Toji.  
  
"Hey what's up with Kensuke?" he asked and Toji rocked back on his chair with his feet up on the table.  
  
"He went to new Yokosuka to see a battle ship or something" Toji shrugged as if not interested. "A ship called Myoko or something like that is in port"  
  
The bell rung and Toji grabbed his lunch smiling greedily at it whilst talking alone to himself.  
  
"Lunch time, lunch time.this is the single best thing about school" Toji heard Asuka scream out and looked over at Shinji where Asuka was leaning over him as if she was going to kill him.  
  
"What!" She screamed at him slamming her hands down on the school desk. "What d you mean you didn't make our lunches for the day!" she asked furiously.  
  
"I.I didn't have time to cook last night, I had too much homework" she said sincerely.  
  
"And that is your excuse for making ME starve?" she snapped an inch from his face.  
  
"Oh ho the newly weds are fighting" Toji stirred, and both Asuka and Shinji went bright red in their faces.  
  
"OH SHUT UP!" the both snapped in unison while the whole class laughed.  
  
"Hey I have some money we could split and you two could just pay me back later," Ma suggested and Asuka smiled.  
  
"See Shinji, at least we have a friend who is PREPARED!" she said storming off and Mia giggled a little bit.  
  
"I have enough if you are hungry too Shinji" Mia stated and he felt his insides knot up.  
  
"Oh, I'll be right thanks anyway Mia" Shinji answered and she shrugged heading over to where Asuka was.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The end of school bell rang at 3 o'clock and everyone was excited to just be leaving and getting home to relax.  
  
Asuka was close to sprinting out the door just to get away but she had to wait for Mia who was packing her things at a normal rate.  
  
"Mia," Asuka whined. "Hurry up before."  
  
"Hey Shinji can I walk home with you guys?" Toji asked smirking maliciously at Asuka who groaned.  
  
"Sure" Shinji answered as they all walked out together.  
  
"So where did the name the three stooges come from?" Mia asked.  
  
"The three of them, Kensuke, Toji and Shinji are all stupid idiots so they are known as stooges" Asuka answered as Mia turned around to see Toji kind of looking up at the sky as if hiding something. She turned back and continued talking to Asuka about the other day.  
  
"It was creepy piloting unit 01" Mia said as Toji and Shinji started eavesdropping.  
  
"What do you mean?" Asuka asked. "Aside from the fact that you Rei and Shinji said that the Eva's smell like their pilots" Asuka rolled her eyes as she said that.  
  
"No, it was just like strange memories tried to get into your head, things that you don't know about but feel like deja vu. Like seeing something after you have just woken up" Mia answered and Asuka linked arms with her.  
  
"It is just because Shinji is weird. If you had of done the experiment in my Eva, it would have been fine" Asuka supposed. "What was it like inside the angel?" Asuka asked quietly.  
  
"Um, it was strange, all that I could se and hear was like white noise, it was probably like an empty dream" Mia answered and Asuka nodded.  
  
"You know even if you hadn't held on to Shinji he would have made it out," Asuka said stating the obvious.  
  
"I know, I at first thought that I could just simply pull him out, however I was wrong.where were you?" Mia asked and Asuka felt awkward.  
  
"It got under me and I had to climb up a building. Misato ordered us to retreat. Even wonder girl didn't want to" Asuka told and Mia nodded.  
  
"I have to move out tomorrow. Will you help me?" Mia asked Asuka and she was suddenly excited.  
  
"Of course, your like my best friend, I couldn't just chuck a party on your leaving without helping get rid of you" she joked.  
  
"Wow you Eva pilots are weird" Toji said rolling his eyes and Shinji realized that he and Mia had both experienced the same thing whilst they were inside the angel. .  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Everything is going so quickly, I am moving out today. I can't believe it has been 3 weeks already" Mia whispered to Asuka and Asuka frowned.  
  
"Great an extra dosage of Shinji" she moaned as the bell rang for lunch.  
  
"YEAH! LUNCH TIME!" Toji shouted rocking back on his chair as the P. A system turned on.  
  
"Toji Suzahara, please report to the principal's office immediately" the office lady's voice stated.  
  
"Huh?" Toji said sitting properly.  
  
"What have you done this time?" Kensuke asked and Toji shrugged.  
  
"I don't know" Toji said getting up and leaving the room. Kensuke and Shinji walked outside where fresh air was blowing in a small breeze.  
  
"How was our trip to new Yokosuka?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Way cool, speaking of which, I picked up some disturbing information" Kensuke began as Mia walked outside stopping in the door. Both Shinji and Kensuke were staring out over the balcony and she was unnoticed.  
  
"Eva unit 04?" Shinji inquired.  
  
"Yeah, the one they built in America. It has been completed hasn't it?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"I don't know" Shinji stuttered.  
  
"I know it is classified but please tell me something," Kensuke basically begged.  
  
"But I really don't know!" Shinji said again.  
  
"Haven't you heard the rumor of the activation test?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"No I haven't" Shinji answered almost confused himself.  
  
"Then the pilot hasn't been chosen yet right?" Kensuke asked almost as if he was planning something in his mind.  
  
"How would I know?" Shinji asked and Mia continued listening on as if invisible to them.  
  
"Misato could choose me for the position!" Kensuke jumped up. "Shinji would you ask her for me? I really want to be an Eva pilot!" he said begging on his knees and Mia giggled silently.  
  
"I don't know if she could or not" Shinji answered and Mia walked over to them.  
  
"I don't think she can, it is Ritsuko's job isn't it?" Mia asked and Kensuke went back to pleading with Shinji.  
  
"Can you asked Misato to ask Ritsuko then?" he asked and Shinji half nodded. "Oh did you hear the story that unit 05 was lost?"  
  
"You really dot know?" he asked astonished.  
  
"I knew" Mia added. "Didn't it disappear along with the entire seventh branch?" Mia said and Kensuke nodded.  
  
"Why didn't I know?" Shinji asked her.  
  
"Do you watch the new headlines?" Mia smirked and he shook his head.  
  
"But why didn't Misato tell me anything?" Shinji wondered aloud.  
  
"Well she is busy" Mia suggested and he stared into open space.  
  
"Hasn't Toji come back yet?" Kensuke asked looking around to find that he hadn't returned. "Weird"  
  
Mia put her clothes in the last box and sighed.  
  
"That's all of it then" she said almost hesitant to leave the comfort of her family away from home.  
  
"You're acting as if you are moving really far away," Asuka said picking up the photo of Mia and her mother. "Is this your mother?"  
  
"Yeah" Mia answered quietly as if ashamed.  
  
"What's wrong? You don't sound.you know." Asuka was lost for the correct word.  
  
"I have had a lot of problems at home. Many that can't be explained in a nice way" Mia answered and Asuka nodded.  
  
"I know what you mean," she answered.  
  
"What?" Mia asked suddenly intrigued.  
  
"What can I say my past is bad as well?" Asuka said handing her the picture.  
  
"Asuka, you know if you want to tell me I will listen and not judge you by it" Mia said sympathetically.  
  
"Why do you have to move?" Asuka said hugging her. "Why can't Shinji move?" she asked satirically.  
  
"I mean it too," Mia said and Asuka nodded.  
  
"How the hell are we going to get that piano up the stairs?" she asked laughing as Misato walked in.  
  
"Oh my god are you leaving now Mia?" she asked and Mia nodded.  
  
"It has been two weeks, I already feel that I have worn out my welcome and do not want to put you out with me being an extra body in here" Mia answered and Misato shook her head.  
  
"You are not a problem, and you will be coming here for dinner every week too" Misato ordered and Mia smiled.  
  
"Thanks Misato" she said carrying one of the boxes to the elevator and using it to hold the door open. They loaded the elevator up with all of Mia's things and took it up a floor before unloading it into her new home.  
  
It was a lot smaller than Misato's home and was only one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen/ lounge room. Her bedroom was in the far right corner that had only enough room for a bed and a few belongings. Her bathroom was a fair size with just a bath toilet and sink. The kitchen was in the far left corner with a breakfast bar to eat at and the TV was next to the door with a brown sofa in front of it. She was able to fit her piano between the breakfast bar and the lounge snugly.  
  
"Hmm I guess it is now home sweet home." Mia said half-heartedly and Asuka nodded.  
  
"Well unfortunately I had better go back home. I guess I will see you later" Asuka said and Mia nodded.  
  
"Guess so" 


	14. Bardiel

CHAPTER 14  
  
Shinji tied his shoes before standing up to face Misato.  
  
"Where is Asuka?" he asked.  
  
"She has already left, it would seem that she doesn't want to face me right now" Misato said folding her arms. She looked down and her suitcases.  
  
"But why?" Shinji asked picking up his school bag.  
  
"A teenage girl can be sometimes hard to understand" Misato answered and although he wasn't quiet convinced of her answer he still accepted it.  
  
"By the way" the both said in unison.  
  
"Go ahead" Misato said.  
  
"Are the rumors about unit 05 disappearing true?" Shinji asked and Misato held her breath anxiously. "I heard that there was some kind of accident and it exploded"  
  
"Yes that is true" Misato said looking away from him. "Unit 05 is gone along with the second branch of NERV. It happened while they were testing the S2 engine. But don't worry we'll be all right" Misato said cheerfully as Shinji looked concerned. "All four of our Eva's are functioning properly and all our staff are in good shape too" Misato assured him.  
  
"I also heard that unit 04 is being brought from America. You're performing the activation test aren't you?" he asked her and she became even more uneasy.  
  
"Yes I will be gone for only a few days, I have Kaji staying with you until I come back" Misato answered. "Ritsuko will be supervising the tests so don't worry"  
  
"And who will pilot it?" Shinji asked and she bit her lip as he waited for her to answer. The doorbell rang and Shinji stepped back. "Yes who is it?" he asked opening the door to find Kensuke bowing down.  
  
"Good morning" he said standing up. "I have come to ask for you're help Major Katsuragi. Please you've got to let me pilot Evangelion unit 04!" he begged and Misato was speechless.  
  
"How can Misato be so cruel?" Kensuke asked Shinji as he, Toji and Shinji sat at their tables before class. Mia walked in and dropped her bag on the table next to Asuka's. "Why won't she even use me as a back up?" he complained and Mia walked over to them and leant on the table.  
  
"What's up?" Mia asked and Kensuke groaned.  
  
"They have chosen a fifth pilot and Misato wont let me b even the back up for Eva unit 04" Kensuke complained.  
  
"Hmm, weird. I haven't heard who the pilot is yet" Mia said ad Shinji breathed easier. At least he wasn't alone on that.  
  
"Yeah" Toji moaned dazed and Shinji looked confusedly at him as Asuka walked into the classroom.  
  
"Hey what's up, you left before me but you are arriving after me" Shinji asked Asuka and she threw her bag down on the table.  
  
"What no fight between the newly-weds this morning?" Toji asked not as happily as usual and Mia looked over at him as he looked back awkwardly at her. She stared at him for a moment before looking back at Asuka.  
  
"I just didn't want to see your ugly faces!" she snapped sitting down. "You damn three stooges!" she threw her book at Shinji and it him his head.  
  
"Ow" he complained.  
  
Later that night Asuka was watching TV while Shinji was studying science. As he was scribbling down some points on motion while Kaji was in the tub.  
  
"I wonder who is going to pilot Evangelion unit 04" Shinji said resting his head on his hand.  
  
"What? You mean you haven't heard?" Asuka asked astonished.  
  
"Who is it?" he asked and she looked away.  
  
"Um I am not sure," she said lying picking up a book as Kaji walked in with a towel in his hand.  
  
"That was refreshing," he said looking down at Shinji and Asuka. "Are you two fighting again?" He asked in a stern voice.  
  
"No!" Asuka screeched.  
  
"I want to be happy Kaji especially since you're spending the night but I just can't.not right now" she said moaning.  
  
"I understand, let's go to bed," he said and they all agreed. After they were all in bed Shinji laid awake deciding whether he should ask Kaji a question that had been meddling with his mind?  
  
"Are you asleep et Kaji?" he asked.  
  
"No, not yet" he answered.  
  
"What's my father like?" Shinji asked quietly.  
  
"Have you been asking around about your father?' Kaji asked.  
  
"I haven't been around him much" Shinji answered.  
  
"So you don't know him well?" Kaji asked and Shinji nodded.  
  
"I learned a lot about him lately."  
  
"You're wrong Shinji, you only believe that you know him. The fact is that people don't even understand themselves," Kaji answered. "The fact that humans don't understand one another and themselves makes life so interesting"  
  
"Hmm I just don't understand adults," Shinji said getting up.  
  
"Where are you going?" Kaji asked.  
  
"Just to get some air," he answered walking out into the lounge room before going out onto the balcony. He breathed in the smell of dewed grass and of a clear night sky while feeling alone. But a strange feeling came over him and he looked up to the next balcony to his left and above him where Mia was leaning on the railing and gazing out across Tokyo-3.  
  
He watched her for a while as one tear rolled down her cheek. She let it drop to the balcony floor and closed her eyes as one more followed.  
  
"Mia" he said softly not wanting to startle her and she looked over at him whipping away the tear quickly.  
  
"Yeah" she said smiling although he could tell that she was hurting on the inside. She ands shook as he gripped the railing.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked her and she shook her head.  
  
"N.nothing." she lied and he raised his eye brow at her. "Maybe just a little bit" she answered.  
  
"Do you want to tell me?" he asked and she shook her head.  
  
"You have your own demons to battle. You don't want mine," she answered softly.  
  
"I do have demons, but if you would let me I can help you fight yours" he said wondering where it came from.  
  
"Hmm if you are sure" he said and he nodded. "Ok." she began and he waited for her to tell him. "No don't worry. Goodnight Shinji" she said walking back inside to her apartment. Shinji heard her cry almost silently and felt as if it was ripping him apart. He wanted to go up and hold her but he knew that Kaji would suspect something so he just walked back inside and lay down beside Kaji who was now snoring away.  
  
"An accident? In Matsushiro?" Shinji asked after his Eva had been launched. A probable angel had attacked and the whole of Tokyo-3 had been evacuated due to red alert. All the four Evangelions had been deployed in different areas to help conquer the angel.  
  
"No way, what happened to Misato?" Mia asked.  
  
"Contact's haven't been restored yet," Rei answered.  
  
"But then what will we do?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Who is commanding the operation?" Mia asked straight after him. She was positioned after Shinji and Rei was in front of him but behind Asuka in the strategic attack plan.  
  
"We're going to have to fight alone!" Asuka said in an upbeat tone.  
  
"But how can we fight an angel alone?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Commander Ikari will take command of this operation," Rei said and all of them were dumbstruck.  
  
"My father will." Shinji said unable to find words to follow.  
  
"Target is approaching"  
  
"All units prepare for ground combat" Shinji looked up and realised that the 13th angel was actually Evangelion unit 05. All of the muscles in his body tensed.  
  
"It can't be" he said astounded as the Eva approached slowly. "An angel? Is that the angel?"  
  
"Correct that is your target" Commander Ikari said austerely.  
  
"It may be our target, but it is also an Eva" Shinji said to no one in particular.  
  
"But it's." Mia said shakily, as she had only found out who the pilot was, today.  
  
"How could it have been possessed by an angel?" Asuka asked.  
  
"There must be a pilot inside, just another kid like me." Shinji felt himself clam up inside as his stomach knotted.  
  
"You still don't know?!" Asuka shouted through the visual transmitter. "The pilot of unit 04 is." Shinji didn't get to hear her finish as the visual when all snowy. He could hear her screaming in terror and pain as she was attacked.  
  
"ASUKA!" he called out to her but there was no answer.  
  
"Rei stop it but avoid close range combat" Commander Ikari ordered and she nodded.  
  
"Yes sir" she agreed waiting until the angel had walked at least 200 meters away from her. She prepared her rifle but froze. The angel twisted and turned before spinning around and attacking Rei. It clutched the back of unit 00 neck forcing it onto the ground. Rei screamed as contamination leaked into her arm from the angel.  
  
The left arm was severed immediately and Rei screamed in pain again holding her shoulder tightly while shivering in pain. The angel proceeded towards Shinji as Mia felt frozen behind him.  
  
"The target is approaching you unit 01. Contact in 20 seconds" Commander Ikari informed Shinji who was unable to move.  
  
"But there is a pilot inside. Just another kid like me" he said watching as the evening sun melted onto the back of unit 04. His hands froze as the angel stopped in front of him roaring. It pounced at him grasping at unit 01's neck and forcing it onto the mountain behind him.  
  
"Shinji why aren't you fighting?" Commander Ikari asked as Mia waited for instruction from Commander Ikari eagerly.  
  
"I can't there is another person inside" Shinji said as his life support system began to break down.  
  
"Irrelevant, it is an angel destroy it!" Commander Ikari snapped at him.  
  
"No I would rather die!" Shinji said unable to breathe.  
  
"Damn it, Mia get out there and get that Angel off him!" Commander Ikari snapped extremely pissed off at Shinji.  
  
"Yes sir" Mia said drawing in a deep breath. 'All I have to do is hold it back. I wont kill him' Mia thought to herself as she ran at the angel grabbing it from behind and pulling it off unit 01. She held it on the ground as it roared at her.  
  
She suddenly felt a wave of fear wash over her as the angel grabbed her right arm and twisted it back over her head.  
  
"Ahh!" she screamed as it flipped her backwards and continued to pull at her arm. It ripped the arm out of unit 04's socket and Mia screamed as it punched her back profusely before picking her up and slamming her into the mountain.  
  
"Shinji fight it!" Commander Ikari shouted and Shinji couldn't breathe even without the angel clutching his throat.  
  
"I.but." Shinji stuttered.  
  
"Cut off all of unit 01 synchronization circuits now!" he ordered. "Switch all control to the dummy plug system"  
  
"But sir the dummy plug system isn't fully operational" Maya stated.  
  
"It is still better than the current pilot!" he ordered and Maya hesitantly switched it over to the dummy plug. The angel continued to bash unit 03 as the Eva went totally silent. It picked it up and slammed it back into the mountain grabbing at its neck and snapping it.  
  
"What?" Shinji said as the cock pit went all red and the controls moved alone. "What the hell are you doing father!" he screamed as unit 01 grabbed the angel off unit 03. Shinji watched in terror, as unit 03 didn't get up before looking to see his own Eva snap the neck of the angel. It threw the angel down onto the ground before punching it once in the head smashing it completely.  
  
Blood poured everywhere from the head exploding as unit 01 continued to attack unit 04. It ripped the armor off the chest plait ripping at its chest as more blood gushed out. It snapped the arms off one at a time dispersing them into buildings before continuing to attack the angel's chest.  
  
"STOP IT!" Shinji screamed as blood splashed over buildings and roads. "FATHER! STOP THIS GOD DAMN THING NOW!" Shinji screamed again. "Damn it stop!" he screamed trying to hold the controls back as the Eva picked up the entry plug and snapped it in to. "NO!!!" The Eva stopped and Shinji shook in the cockpit incapable to move even his hands.  
  
"Eva unit 04, I mean the target has gone completely silent"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Later that night Shinji was still watching from the cockpit as rescue teams were surrounding unit 03 and unit 04. He couldn't see if they had pulled out Mia yet and was unable to see if anyone was pulled from unit 04 as of yet. Misato's voice was the only thing that brought him back into reality.  
  
"Shinji."  
  
"Misato? You're safe?" he asked and she trembled.  
  
"I am sorry, god I am so sorry Shinji" she said crying. "I need to tell you something important. Oh god I am sorry Shinji" she said as Shinji watched them pulled a body from the remains of the entry plug.  
  
"He's alive"! Shinji said happily squinting at the pilot. His whole body tensed as he saw Toji be lifted onto a stretcher.  
  
"Shinji" Misato said as Shinji shook violently.  
  
"NO!" 


	15. Zeruel

CHAPTER 15  
  
"That idiot wont find a way of this" Asuka said as she and Rei waited outside the emergency rooms. Asuka was saying that she was only waiting to find out how Mia was but she was lying.  
  
"How is Ikari?" Rei asked.  
  
"He wasn't injured, so he should be ok" Asuka answered. "He is probably imagining that it was all a dream" she sighed walking into the rooms to see the beds. One bed had Toji in it, the next bed with Shinji, and the last bed with Mia in it.  
  
Asuka walked over to Mia's bed watching the monitor beep quietly. For a moment she stood there annoyed at the fact that Shinji let her get this badly hurt. She walked back out before Toji opened his eyes and looked across to find Shinji in the bed next to him.  
  
"Shinji." he said although his head was all cloudy. "Why is he lying next to me?" Toji asked himself unable to see Mia. "Where am I?" he asked faintly before passing back into darkness.  
  
* * *  
  
Shinji opened his eyes and looked over at the clock on the wall. It read 2:34. He figured that everyone must still be in school.  
  
"Was it all a dream?" he asked himself looking up at the light before turning his head to the left. His heart jumped as he saw Mia in the bed next to him with a mask covering her face.  
  
He sat up with his head spinning and waking over to her. He watched, as she looked peaceful sleeping silently. He watched her for a few more minutes as memories flashed at him from before.his father raising the LCL to maximum to get him out of the Eva.Toji.  
  
He looked to his right and saw Toji sleeping on the other bed. He smiled as the feeling that Toji was safe flowed through him but at the same time was annoyed at himself that he let Mia end up in the hospital. He sighed looking back at Mia.  
  
"I am sorry I didn't help you.I couldn't.my father.Toji.I am sorry" he said a whole bunch of words that made no sense to anyone but himself before lying back down.  
  
The next day happened so quickly for Shinji. One minute he was in hospital the next he was cuffed and in temporary imprisonment.  
  
"Get out Shinji Ikari the Commander will see you now" A dark voice snapped and he stood up walking to the elevator where guards escorted him up to a dark room where only the commander/his father was.  
  
"Disobeying orders, using Eva for your own personal use, childish intimidation. These are all criminal offenses. Do you have anything to say?" Commander Ikari asked coldly.  
  
"Yes I don't want to pilot an Eva anymore" Shinji said just as coldly back to him. "And I don't want to stay here either"  
  
"Well then leave" Commander Ikari snapped.  
  
"I'll go back to my old teacher" Shinji said turning around.  
  
"So you're running away again" Commander Ikari said menacingly. "You disappoint me, I assume that we'll never meet again"  
  
"That is my intent" Shinji said walking away.  
  
Shinji walked home on a long and hot road as the sun beat down on his back making him all sweaty. He thought of nothing as he opened the door into his house and nothing still as he packed. He had only five boxes, much less than Asuka and felt nothing but loneliness like Rei as he lay on his bed.  
  
The phone rang but he let it ring out as a soft piano tune muffled his head. At first he couldn't pick the tune but after he tried listening to it for a while the melody popped into his mind.  
  
"The moonlight Sonata" he said out loud running upstairs and letting himself into Mia's apartment. But no one was there. There was no one playing the black grad piano, no one smiling at him and saying hi, no one to listen to him, and give him advice, no one to be there for him.  
  
"Because I put her in hospital because I am a coward!" he shouted at himself looking over at a picture that was in her room of her mother. He picked it up and looked at the woman's long dark brown hair much like Mia's except darker. She was smiling like his mother used to and he felt sad from just holding it. He put it back down and walked back to his apartment.  
  
"Shinji I just want you to remember that all of us at NERV have placed our futures in your hands, I want you to remember that" Misato said driving off as Shinji waited for the next train out of Tokyo-3.  
  
"A special state of emergency has been declared. Please evacuate to you designated shelters," the P.A. system stated and Shinji sighed walking towards the nearest shelter.  
  
As he made his way to the shelter he watched as the Angel destroyed 30% of the geofront in just one hit.  
  
"I made up my mind. I swore I would never pilot an Eva again," he said to an unconvinced side of him making his way to the shelter.  
  
* * *  
  
"I can beat this angel without Shinji the hero helping out," Asuka said.  
  
Asuka waited for the Angel to come through where it had just punctured the geofront. The angel slowly floated down in front of her and she fired at it profusely.  
  
"Damn you!" she screamed as her rifle ran out. "Next!" she said grabbing another and firing continuously with no effect.  
  
"I am neutralizing its AT field aren't I?" she asked herself as the rifle ran out.  
  
"I cant loose again!" she screamed as smoke shrouded the Angel. She waited hoping that she had beaten it. The smoke cleared away as it's arms unfolded and it cut of her Eva's arms.  
  
"Ahh!" she screamed in pain clutching her shoulders as the Eva bled everywhere.  
  
"You damn bastard!" she screamed in German charging at the Angel as it swung at her head.  
  
"Asuka no! Disengage all of the nerve connections now!" Misato ordered just before Asuka's head was chopped off.  
  
* * *  
  
Shinji waited with his knees folded to his chest in a shelter. People were gossiping all around him as he listened outside as a whirling sound approached. Suddenly the whole roof caved in as Eva unit 02 head smashed into the shelter. Shinji tensed up shaking.  
  
"Asuka." he breathed looking at the blood tricking from its head. He ran outside as people were ordered to go to the third shelter. Above him a battle was raging as UN forces fired at the angel with no effect. Unit 02 was armless and headless with blood covering its entire body.  
  
"Asuka" he whispered again to no one  
  
'That you Shinji" a familiar deep voice asked and Shinji turned to his right.  
  
"Kaji?" he said aloud as Kaji was watering his melons.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kaji asked him and Shinji looked down.  
  
"I decided that I would never pilot and Eva again" Shinji answered.  
  
"Is that so?" he said quietly. "Well I am off the combat roster so that is why I am here. Sprinkling" he said was he moved the watering can along his melons.  
  
"AT a time like this?' Shinji asked astounded.  
  
"What better time. Although I would rather be between Misato's breasts" he said to himself and Shinji felt slightly awkward by his saying of this. "This is a place would like to be when I die"  
  
"Die?" Shinji asked as a huge explosion struck NERV.  
  
"That is right, they say that if an angel come into contact with Adam we will all die due to a third impact" Kaji stated. "The only thing that can stop it is Evangelion" as he said this unit 00 without a rifle was launched.  
  
"Ayanami?" Shinji said looking up and the Eva. "Without a rifle?" he said suddenly fear struck. She charged at the Angel with an N2 mine in one arm. As she came into contact with the angel she pushed through it's AT field and the mine exploded.  
  
After the heat wave had disappeared the angel struck at unit 00 knocking it to the ground. Shinji watched on in horror as the Angel completely destroyed unit 00 almost.  
  
"Shinji, the only thing I can do is stand here and water, but you, you have something that you can do that no one else can." Kaji said. "No one is forcing you. Think for yourself and decide for yourself. Think about having no regrets" Kaji said and Shinji reconsidered bolting towards NERV HQ.  
  
"Let me pilot it!" he screamed as he arrived in the command center standing before unit 01. "Please let me pilot it," he breathed hard.  
  
"Why are you here?" Commander Ikari snapped at him and Shinji breathed hard clenching his fists.  
  
"Because I am the pilot of unit 01 Shinji Ikari!" he screamed as the Angel breached the next layer coming straight to the central command centre. It stood before the whole personnel including Misato, Ritsuko, Maya and the commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki.  
  
It began its attack as Shinji broke through the armour and grabbed it pushing it away from them.  
  
"ARGH!" he screamed punching and kicking it as hard as he could releasing all of his anger on the Angel. It shot at his arm completely blowing it off. Shinji screamed clutching his arm as he pushed it to the fifth catapult.  
  
"MISATO!" he shouted and she lunched the catapult. Shinji pressed the angels face on the tracks as they flew up before slamming it onto the hill grabbing at it's armour and pulling off it's head. He continued to punch it again and again over and over ripping its whole face off.  
  
The power went off and Shinji froze.  
  
"Oh no" he said as the angel grabbed the Eva and threw it against the mountain striking at it's armour breaking through it.  
  
"Come on move, you god damn piece of shit! Move!" Shinji screamed pulling the controls with no effect.  
  
"Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move!" Shinji screamed as the entry plug began to crack open. "Move you filthy stinking monster. COME ON MOVE!" he screamed as something thumped. He suddenly was more alert than ever as the Eva completely reactivated.  
  
AS the angel went to strike it's body again the Eva slice through its armour ripping off one of its arms. It stuck the arm of the angel on it's won regenerating its own arm. The Eva threw the angel backwards roaring in its face.  
  
The Eva got down on all fours racing towards the angel; there it bit into the angel beginning to eat it away. As it took in the S2 organ the Eva rose up breaking free of its restraints/armour.  
  
"The restraints have been broken!" Ritsuko shouted.  
  
"Restraints?" Misato asked.  
  
"Yes restraints. Those plaits weren't just armour, they allowed us to control the Eva but now the beast inside is free!" Ritsuko stated as the Eva roared deeply. 


	16. Mia's past begins to unveil

CHAPTER 16  
  
After 13 days Mia opened her eyes for the first time and gazed around the room. She looked at the clock and saw that it read 10:42 am. She sighed looking around to see Toji awake in the bed beside. Her.  
  
"Toji" she said quietly and he jumped looking over at her.  
  
"Geez you slept longer than even I did" he joked and she laughed half- heartedly.  
  
"Hmm, I am so sorry about before" she apologized quickly.  
  
"You had nothing to do with it, it was no one's fault. I don't blame anyone," Toji answered and she nodded.  
  
"Do you know what happened?" she asked and he shook his head.  
  
"I saw nothing after the activation test" he answered. "What happened?"  
  
"Well Eva unit 04, I mean the angel attacked Asuka first and took her out. Rei was unable to fight once it pounced her. But when it attacked Shinji he didn't fight back, I had to go in and get the angel off him but I wasn't strong enough so the Commander used the dummy pug rather than Shinji. That's how you got here," she answered.  
  
"How did you get here?" Toji asked.  
  
"All I saw was the dummy plug operate. My Eva's arm was ripped off and the neck was broke from what I remember" Mia answered and Toji looked away.  
  
"I am sorry Mia," he said and she shook her head.  
  
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. Eva unit 04 was possessed you couldn't have prevented it if you tried" Mia assured him and he nodded.  
  
"So do you know what has happened of the past days?" she asked sitting up and leaning on the bed railings.  
  
"Yeah, it wasn't good though" he said and she looked over at him worried.  
  
"What has happened Toji?" she asked seriously.  
  
"The fourteenth angel attacked Tokyo-3. It got right inside the geofront" Toji began and Mia's mouth dropped. "Before this Shinji had resigned as an Eva pilot and Rei and Asuka had to fight it alone. Asuka lost her Eva's head and both arms and Rei had to battle in unit 00 which had only one arm. She hit it with an N2 mine and blew up all but nothing" Toji said and Mia was unable to speak. "Shinji came back though but the power ran out after he got the angel away from central command. He beat the angel but that was after the Eva re-activated itself and took Shinji inside it supposedly" Toji said.  
  
"Sh.Shinji is trapped inside?" Mia stuttered and Toji nodded.  
  
"That's what I was told anyway," Toji answered and Mia bit her lip. 'Why did she have to be unconscious for this?'  
  
Mia was let out of hospital 15 days later. She was glad to be going home to sleep in her own bed rather than a hospital bed. Toji had to stay there for longer as he was more damaged than her. She was happy that she could hopefully see Shinji but also wanted to talk to Asuka.  
  
As she entered the apartment lot she rode up to her floor first dumping her suit on the lounge. She then walked passed her room and noticed that the photo of her mother had moved fro one table to another. She picked it up to move it and knew who had touched it instantly. Shinji.  
  
Quickly she made her way down the stairs to Misato's apartment and knocked on the door letting herself in. It was dark inside and somewhat unwelcoming which was odd as the Katsuragi residence was always happy and hospitable.  
  
"Asuka" she said quietly walking into Asuka's room. She saw the red haired girl with her face buried into a pillow and her legs stretched out over the bed. Mia sat beside her on the bed. "Are you alright?"  
  
"How can I be alright?" Asuka said sarcastically into the pillow. "I couldn't even neutralize the AT field. Wonderful Shinji beat me again!" she screamed punching the pillow and Mia looked around the room. It was not like Asuka's bedroom as books were ripped and cups shattered all around her. It was dark and cold inside and Mia felt like she just wanted to get out of there.  
  
"You did your best from what I heard" Mia said and Asuka sat up surprised to see her.  
  
"I though that you were Misato" she said wiping her eyes and folding her legs. She looked tired and old with her face stained with defeat and hate.  
  
"No I woke up 15 days ago and they are finally letting me out. Toji told me what happened." she said quietly and Asuka bit her lip.  
  
"I lost again. If I loose again they wont let me pilot Eva again," Asuka said.  
  
"Asuka I lost too. I know how you feel," Mia said and Asuka shook her head.  
  
"You don't. I lost twice and you only lost once. You only lost because Shinji was weak. If Shinji had had fought with you, you would have conquered the Angel" Asuka said and Mia looked away.  
  
"You would have too. It was a bad angel; even Shinji had trouble defeating it. Now he is lost" Mia said and Asuka breathed hard.  
  
"Without Eva I am nothing" Asuka said and Mia shook her head.  
  
"You will always be Asuka. You will always be my friend Eva or no Eva" Mia assured her and Asuka nodded.  
  
"I need to take a shower so I guess I will see you later ok" Mia said and Asuka nodded feeling a little better.  
  
"When Shinji comes back I'll tell him your back" she said grinning and Mia blushed walking out.  
  
* * * * *  
  
10 days later Mia sat on the floor with her glassed on. She was reading a book but not really remembering any of it. All she could think about was Shinji and Shinji alone. She thought that she heard a knock on the door but thought that she was imagining it and continued to read.  
  
"Mia" a voice said and she spun around getting up instantly. She stood staring at Shinji who seemed a little off colour but fine apart from that. She couldn't move at all feeling as if all of her joints had just frozen.  
  
"I am sorry," he said and she ran up to him and hugged him tightly. She didn't want to let go as he hugged her back listening to her back crack as he squeezed tighter. A lump in his throat made it hard for him to swallow as he sobbed into her shoulder. Mia found herself being dragged down back onto the floor as Shinji cried like a little kid who had just lost his favourite toy. She shushed him for a while as he continued to cry until he had nothing left to cry.  
  
"It is ok," she finally said as he breathed hard.  
  
"I never meant for any of this to happen I swear to you" Shinji said holding her face. She could see the teardrops still sticking to his eyelashes.  
  
"I believe you It is ok. Everyone is ok" Mia said and he nodded as the phone rang. Shinji lent back and picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" he said suddenly realizing that it was Mia's phone he reddened awaiting an answer. Someone said something in Italian and he couldn't understand him or her.  
  
"Hello" he repeated.  
  
"Who the hell is this?" a deep voice asked and Shinji raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Shinji Ikari" he answered and the person on the other line grunted.  
  
"Where is that little bitch?" the man asked and Shinji was just about to hang up on him.  
  
"Sorry I don't know anyone by that name" he snapped suddenly feeling like his father as Mia's eyes widened. She knew who it was.  
  
"Look mate just put 'er on tha phone will ya!" he snapped, his voice sounded slurred like he had had too much to drink.  
  
"Hold on" Shinji snapped into the phone covering the bottom of it. "It is for you, some guy," he said and Mia stepped back before hesitantly taking the phone from him. She started talking quietly in Italian as the man on the other line shouted at her.  
  
She closed her eyes and Shinji watched as tears built up in her eyes. She took whatever the man was saying to her and Shinji realised that she was just like he was when she was talking to people from home. She hung up the phone and covered her face with her hands.  
  
"I am sorry" she apologized quietly.  
  
"Who was that?" Shinji asked and she bit her lip looking away from him.  
  
"It is a long story," Mia said and Shinji grabbed her shoulders.  
  
"That I want to hear" Shinji said and she breathed hard.  
  
"He I like my stepfather but he isn't by law" Mia answered and Shinji nodded.  
  
"Why was he like that to you?" Shinji asked and she closed her eyes.  
  
"You see Shinji I had a really hard time growing up at home. My real father died in a chemical accident when I was 4 and my mother and I had a hard time coping with that after he was killed. My mother ended up seeing her boss who was that guy but his is a bastanio," she said swearing in Italian.  
  
"A what?" Shinji interrupted.  
  
"Son of a slut" she answered and he nodded. "After that It got harder and harder to stay at home. Luckily I was chosen to be an Eva pilot and I am here now the end" she said quickly and although Shinji knew there was more he said nothing.  
  
"Yeah" he couldn't think of anything else to say.  
  
"Like I said it is a long story" Mia said. "I am glad you are ok," she added and he smiled.  
  
"I am glad you are too" he replied before leaving. As he arrived home he sat on the floor putting his headphones in.  
  
Misato arrived home an hour after he had come home himself.  
  
"I am home," she said opening the fridge and grabbing a can of beer. Shinji left and walked into his room sitting on his bed. He could hear Misato star crying and he took one of his headphones out and listened to her. He didn't know what to do or say, he felt just like a child. 


	17. Mia's pain

CHAPTER 17  
  
"All personnel go to first stage alert" the alarms went of as Asuka was entering here Eva.  
  
"Another Angel?" she thought aloud.  
  
"We can't attack it while it is still in orbit"  
  
"Eva's weren't designed for close range combat," Misato said. "So unless it comes into out range there is nothing we can do?" she added. "How is Rei?"  
  
"Rei and unit 00 are both in good condition," Maya stated.  
  
"Understood. Launch unit 00 and use 02 as back up" Misato ordered. "Can we use unit 01?"  
  
"Unit 01 is still in cryostats," Maya told.  
  
"Put the pilot of unit 01 into 03" Commander Ikari ordered.  
  
"But sir last time the pilot was in hospital" Maya objected.  
  
"Irrelevant, prepare him in unit 03" he snapped and she nodded.  
  
"Equip unit 00 for long range firing" Misato said as they prepared for launch. "Asuka be ready to back her up"  
  
"Back her up? You want me to back up unit 00!" Asuka retorted. "No way. Eva launch!" she shouted as her Eva launched.  
  
"ASUKA!" Ritsuko snapped.  
  
"It is OK let her take the point," Misato said. "What will unit 03's pilot be doing?"  
  
"Keep her as backup for unit 01. We shouldn't need her for this angel" the commander said as Mia walked into the control center.  
  
"Is Shinji piloting unit 03?" she asked.  
  
"Yes" Misato said and Mia said nothing.  
  
"Launch unit 00 and 03 now" Misato ordered and both were launched.  
  
"Not good" Mia said under her breath.  
  
Outside in the rain the three Eva's awaited contact with the Angel. Rei was in rear backup and Shinji was on the right side while Asuka held her rifle ready to fire. Rain pelted down on the Eva's as Shinji concentrated last time was bad enough.  
  
He heard screams and looked around paranoid but nothing had happened.  
  
"Who is screaming?" he asked and the whole of central command looked from one to another.  
  
"No one Shinji take your headphones out" Misato said and she shook his head.  
  
"They're not in. I can hear someone screaming" Shinji said and Misato bit her lip. They should have only launched Mia in unit 03 not Shinji. A sudden bright light beamed down on unit 02.  
  
Asuka screamed clutching her head as the angel tried to get into her mind. She fired aimlessly at the angel missing every time and only causing destruction on the city. Her ammunition ran out and she screamed over and over again and again.  
  
"NO! Don't come into me!" she screamed as the bright light shone on her Eva paralyzing it. Words flashed into her head. ***Strangled, hatred, menstruation, shame, double suicide, invader, comfortable***  
  
"Get out of my mind!" she screamed holding her head. "Stop raping my mind!"  
  
"PSYCHOGRAPH CRITICAL!" Maya shouted out.  
  
"We have to get Asuka out of there immediately" Ritsuko said. " Unit 03 take the rifle and fire at the target"  
  
"The range is too far"  
  
"Asuka retreat!" Misato ordered.  
  
"NO!" she screamed holding her head.  
  
"That was an order!"  
  
"I would rather die!" Asuka screamed as Mia watched on as unit 02 convulsed under the bright light. Rei fired with the sniper throwing her Eva backwards.  
  
"Unit 03 fire second shot!" Ritsuko ordered as Shinji took the rifle and got ready to fire. The Angel's AT field stopped Rei shot from penetrating it at all as it shone a second less effective light onto Shinji.  
  
"AHH!" he screamed as the light shone onto him. He heard screams and felt as if he was being attacked. He fired senselessly at the building.  
  
"Shinji what in the heck are you doing!" Misato shouted at him.  
  
"It is attacking me"  
  
"No its not"  
  
"Ahh!" he screamed as the feeling of his arm being broken hit him. He clutched his arm as the screams became louder and the darkness shrouded him.  
  
"Get him out of unit 03!" Mia snapped at Misato and all of the staff looked at her.  
  
"Why?" Commander Ikari asked.  
  
"You must!" Mia said and he looked back at the video feedback of Shinji attacking the building in front of him.  
  
"You know why he is hallucinating?" he asked and Mia shook her head lying.  
  
"Please sir" she muttered as Shinji's screams became louder.  
  
"STOP IT!" he shouted firing at the building.  
  
"Retreat unit 03" Commander Ikari ordered and none of them objected.  
  
"Sir, can we send out unit 01?"  
  
"No, unit 01 can not be touched by the angel" Commander Ikari stated as unit 03 was docked in the cage. Mia watched the video as unit 02 ceased activation and the life support system crashed.  
  
"Can I go out in unit 03?" Mia asked and they all looked at her with raised eyebrows.  
  
"A second ago you wanted your Eva retreated.  
  
"I don't want Shinji piloting it," she said in a monotone as if she was being cold hearted. "Asuka will die if someone doesn't do something now" she said with a little more life in her.  
  
"True, Rei go to Dogma and get the Lance" Commander Ikari said and Rei nodded as the central control personnel protested.  
  
"You can't use the Lance of Longinus" Commander Fuyutsuki snapped.  
  
"It is the only way to destroy the angel," Commander Ikari answered sternly. Mia hurried out into the launch cages and watched as Shinji was ejected from unit 03. As he made his way toward her she bit her lip, he grabbed her by her arms and held onto her tightly.  
  
"What or who was screaming" he asked coldly and she looked away. "Mia" he snapped. "Who was screaming?" he asked loudly.  
  
"I was," she said and he raised his eyebrow.  
  
"How, it was inside Eva. You were in central command." he asked and she drew in a deep breath.  
  
"Eva 03 is my mind, Eva unit 01 is your mind" she began but he interrupted her.  
  
"So why were you screaming in your Eva?"  
  
"I wasn't screaming in it, it is a memory of me screaming when I was younger," she snapped back at him but he pulled her closer to him so that he was an inch from her face.  
  
"Why, stop hiding" he ordered.  
  
"Later" she said pulling away. "I will tell you everything later" she said walking briskly back to the command center. Shinji paused for a moment before following her. As he entered the cold command center he watched as a video feed of unit 00 prepared to hurl the lance of Longinus at the angel. Rei took three steps and threw the lance as hard as the Eva could toward the angel; it pierced right through it causing everyone to rejoice momentarily.  
  
"Target annihilated"  
  
"Eva unit 02 is free"  
  
Mia ran outside as Eva unit was brought back into the launch docks. Asuka was sitting in the middle of a roped of square in quarantine. Shinji followed her and they watched as she sat facing her Eva as it was descending down the lift.  
  
"I am glad you're ok Asuka" Shinji called out.  
  
"SHUT UP!" who in the hell is OK?" she snapped. "How could it get any worse? That little bitch rescued me! The little bitch rescued ME!" she said holding her knees close to her. "Don't you know that I would have rather died!" she screamed and Mia climbed under the quarantine ropes she slowly walked over to Asuka resting her hand on Asuka's back.  
  
"I HATE YOU SHINJI! I hate everyone!" Asuka screamed and Mia sat beside her. Asuka looked at her. "Your on the wrong side of the rope.  
  
"Screw the rope" Mia said as Shinji watched Asuka cry into her knees while Mia sat beside her just to be there for her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mia looked at her book that was just sitting there on the table. She could usually read at anytime but she couldn't read now. How could becoming an Eva pilot be so horrible, how could it turn even the nicest person in to a monster reforming their fears and turning their inner most terrible memories a reality?  
  
"Nothing is fair" she whispered taking off her glasses and dropping them on the table, that leant on her book as she sat and watched it hoping that answers would just appear from nothing or that something would give her a reason to become nothing. A knock on the door made her jump as Shinji let himself in.  
  
"Hey Mia" he said sitting down across the table from her.  
  
"I take it you are here so that you can listen to me tell you about my past" she snapped and he said nothing. "Aren't you?"  
  
"I don't want you to suffer," he said.  
  
"How can I not? Telling someone about it just means that someone else knows" she snapped.  
  
"Just tell me, I know pieces and I can't put them together," he said and she looked away with tears burning her eyes.  
  
"Fine." She agreed. "This is what I know, my real father used to be a scientist who worked for Nerv on Adam from what I heard. He used to get up early and leave late but he was basically the light in my life. My mother was a simple person who just went along with everything, she me and all but my father meant everything to me, then one day when I was 4 went to work with him, he showed me the future, he showed me Evangelion 03" she said and Shinji suddenly felt himself lost in this story, how was this relevant? Was she destined to pilot unit 3 from the beginning?  
  
"My father said that he was building this to help the world and that he was also working on something called Adam. I didn't know what Adam was back them and I assumed it was a system. Then one day there was an explosion in his laboratory, I was certain that he wasn't injured and that he would come home, but he never did. I guess that I am still waiting," she whispered and Shinji felt puzzled.  
  
"Is that it?" he thought aloud.  
  
"I wish," she said. "When I was 7 my mother started hanging around with this guy, my step-father, he seemed nice at first but when they got married he changed. He was a bastard to us and hated me. I was a waste of time and space and the only time he wanted me was when I could get him a beer from the fridge. He sued to beat my mother and she would lie about it all the time saying that she fell or something like that. One time I was up late watching TV when he got home from the bar, I hid under the table and he walked in stinking like vomit and alcohol. My mother walked out from the bathroom and kissed him on the cheek as usual, he walked into the kitchen and looked for a beer but she hadn't gone shopping because she was sick. He shouted at her 'where's my grog slut' and so on. I just sat there and watched him punch her in the face three time frozen, I couldn't move at all" Mia said and Shinji could tell why she was hurting, tears built in her eyes but she wiped them away.  
  
"They used to say that if you were married it wasn't rape, I think that is bullshit. He raped her and I watched as she cried and screamed at him, pleading for him to stop but he didn't. When he finally did he spat on her and hit her again, I think he heard me crying and that is how he found me. He grabbed me from under the table and yelled at me over and over cursing at me of how useless I was to everything and everyone. Saying that my mother was a whore and that the only reason that I existed was because my father was a dumb ass hole who would sleep with just about anyone for a good time. I didn't know what this all meant but I shook my head and said that I loved my father." Mia bit her knuckles, as Shinji said nothing. She looked down at the table and watched as tears dropped onto it.  
  
"He hit me, once, twice, three times and then I lost count, I pulled free of him and ran for the door but he caught me, he pulled me right up to his face and his eyes were just the darkest thing you could have ever seen, all black and empty, bloodshot. I cried and he threw me against the wall, I screamed and he slammed me on the floor before throwing me once more. He left me then, I just lay there unable to move, this time not of fear but just because I couldn't. My mother took me to hospital and told them that I fell out of a tree, at 2 am in the morning." Mia looked at Shinji whose mouth was open and speechless.  
  
"I thank god for my real father assigning me to Eva unit 03. I thank god every day for training and school, because they took more hours from my life that meant I didn't have to be there in that house. Do you know how happy I was t come here? The only thing that made me think twice was my mother, but she told me to go and I didn't thick of it again," Mia said and Shinji took her hand.  
  
"I never should have asked you to tell me, I am so sorry" he said sincerely.  
  
"It is fine, it is just one of those things that I am trying to put behind me" she said with her eyes half closed. "I broke 56 bones that night, and haven't broken one since then" she said smirking and Shinji cringed slightly.  
  
"Ouch" he said and she laughed halfheartedly.  
  
"Well at least this explains everything now, even though it was horrible I appreciate you telling me about it" Shinji said and she smiled.  
  
"That's ok, how's Asuka?" Mia asked changing the subject.  
  
"Not so good, she hasn't come home yet" Shinji said looking away. "I think she is in too deep this time." 


	18. Armisael

CHAPTER 18  
  
Shinji wandered around the apartment like a zombie fresh out of the crypt. He gazed around with glassy eyes at the rubbish dump that he called his home. The bins had not been emptied for weeks so trash just built up around the kitchen and dining area. He looked at Misato's door, which had a 'do not disturb' sign on it.  
  
"Misato's shutting herself up," he whispered as Pen pen walked by. He looked over the hall where Asuka's bedroom door was just open with no light shining in it. Shinji walked over to the door and lightly pushed it open. Darkness. There was no sign that anyone actually lived in there. It stunk of closed up room and Shinji backed off.  
  
"Will she ever come home?" he asked to no one looking at the phone. He wanted to call Mia but chose against it. She was the only one that he felt could help him but she had her own problems that even he couldn't help. He heard the phone ring and looked over at it. It rang once. Twice. Three times. Fourth. Misato answered and grunted at the person on the other line. She hung up the phone and looked at Shinji.  
  
"Another Angel is approaching" she said bluntly reaching for the phone again and calling Mia. The call was short and Misato grabbed her jacket immediately after hanging up.  
  
"Lets go," she said icily and Shinji followed her unwillingly to the elevator. Mia was already dressed in her suit on her way down. She cracked a small smile at Shinji and Misato but neither returned a smile.  
  
"You were dressed quick" Misato said raising an eyebrow at Mia.  
  
"Intuition I suppose" Mia said quietly as they headed for the car and sped off towards Nerv. The second they arrived Asuka had already been launched as a back up for Rei.  
  
"Can we use unit 01?" Maya asked.  
  
"No I do not have the authorization to release it, the commander is the only one" Misato said looking at Mia.  
  
"Launch unit 03 away from the city and use it as a 3rd back up to attempt to lure it out of the city" Misato ordered and Mia walked briskly to the launch cages.  
  
"We can use unit 2 as a decoy" the commander said as unit 03 was launched. Mia gazed up at the angel. It was a giant ring circling around above the mountains. She couldn't see Rei but her Eva grid showed where she was. She engaged the sense mech and waited for information. Nothing.  
  
"Come on" she hissed waiting. Suddenly without warning the angel broke into a string and sped at Rei. No one had time to move as it was like lightning striking through unit 00's stomach. Rei grabbed it with her free arm and shot at its body ineffectively. It began to contaminate unit 00 spreading into its nerves.  
  
"Launch unit 02!" Misato ordered as Rei was pushed back into the mountain squirming helplessly. "Lift off unit 02" Misato ordered and Asuka didn't move. "What is she doing?!"  
  
"She can't think her synch ratio is under 10%," Maya shouted and Misato's blood ran cold.  
  
"Retrieve her!" Misato snapped.  
  
"I want Evangelion 01 launched" Commander Ikari ordered.  
  
"What?" Misato asked.  
  
"I said launch it!" he snapped.  
  
"Mia move in and get some heat off Rei" Misato ordered before turning to the commander. "Until Shinji gets there," she added.  
  
"Yes ma'am" Mia agreed running toward the angel. It's whip like image turned at her. She froze and grabbed her controls readying herself to strike but it swung at her and threw her 200 meters back before turning at Shinji.  
  
"Ikari!" Rei said trembling tears rolled from her eyes. "Does my mind want to become one with Ikari?" she asked herself as Shinji darted around. Mia was beginning to stand up as she reached for her rifle. The angel shattered Shinji's rifle like glass and Mia aimed at the angel. "NO!"  
  
Rei got up from her seat and let her AT field merge with the angel taking the D-mode control and pulling it. "I won't retreat," she whispered and the last image she saw was a smiling Gendo Ikari.  
  
The explosion was enormous. The ground shook. Black smoke filled the air. A blanked of dust shrouded the light from touching everything. Death.  
  
Shinji froze unable to cry, unable to move and unable to think. Mia just stared at nothingness. The angel was gone. Rei was gone.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Mia tried to backtrack over her last days that had been a total blur to her. Everything faded in and out as the sun rose and fell before her eyes. She had hardly eaten or moved from the floor in her lounge room. She felt completely alone.  
  
"Rei is alive," she whispered to herself. It was unbelievable and impossible however true. How could she be alive? She had self destructed to save Shinji and herself.  
  
Shinji had spoken of the dummy system and how it had been totally composed of Rei's soul. He spoke of Rei and his mother possibly having a connection, how he had seen his mother's death. But it felt like nothing to Mia.  
  
She stood up and waked into the bathroom clutching her stomach. She winced in pain and looked into the mirror. What was wrong with her? She stared into the mirror and saw a ghostly figure looking at her with pale skin and glassy eyes. Who was this person?  
  
"Who are you?" she whispered icily and grabbed her throat. What was happening to her? Her phone rang and she walked out to it on wobbly knees.  
  
"Yes hello?" she whispered.  
  
"Mia Zaharia?" a voice asked.  
  
"Yes" she tried to speak properly but her voice wouldn't work.  
  
"We need you at HQ for a test. The 4 children are required," he said hanging up. Mia hung up and grabbed her suit sitting on the floor to put it on. Four children, that means that Asuka is OK. She though heading out the door whilst supporting herself n the walls.  
  
* * *  
  
By the time that she had arrived at HQ three children were being briefed. Rei, Shinji and another guy. No Asuka. She looked at him puzzled.  
  
"Mia this is Kaworu Nagisa" Misato said and Mia looked suspiciously at him.  
  
"Hello you must be the fourth child," he said over kindly and she nodded.  
  
"I take it you are Asuka's replacement" Mia said coldly.  
  
"Now if we can all have you in the plugs we can begin the test" Maya said and Mia walked slowly following the three children. Misato pulled her aside.  
  
"Are you alright Mia?" she asked and Mia closed her eyes and nodded.  
  
"Just over tired" she lied heading for the entry plugs.  
  
"Mia doesn't look well" Maya stated the obvious.  
  
"No she doesn't" Misato added as the monitors opened.  
  
"This can't be possible." Maya said as commander Fuyutsuki looked over her shoulder.  
  
"He is amazing," he said referring to Kaworu. "He synchronized perfectly with unit 02 before we reconfigured its core"  
  
"That is strange" Misato said looking at Mia's scores. "Mia has increased by 40% even though she looks so sick" she stated puzzled. "Do we know what is wrong with her?"  
  
"The Magi aren't designed for human health status but they seem to be completely baffled on her medical. It will take approximately 4 ours for them to reach a conclusion on her as long as she stayed in the tube" Maya answered and Misato nodded.  
  
"Keep her in there, I want to know exactly what is wrong with her and why" Misato ordered and Maya nodded.  
  
After an hour of sitting and waiting while the magi corrected any updates r such the children finally heard the voices of central command.  
  
"Right, thank you all. You may all get out now, except Mia" Maya said and Shinji looked over at the plug that Mia was concealed in. Why was she staying?  
  
* * * * *  
  
After the tests Shinji walked outside of central command and half waited for Kaworu, half just not wanting to go home. He sat and stared at nothingness jumping once the doors opened.  
  
"Hi, you weren't waiting for me were you?" Kaworu asked smiling sincerely.  
  
"No, not really waiting" Shinji said feeling his face go red with embarrassment.  
  
"What are you doing then?" Kaworu asked.  
  
"Well usually after tests I just take a shower and go home, but I don't really like to go home these days" Shinji said quietly.  
  
"The fact that you have a place to return to will lead you to happiness" Kaworu said smiling almost as if he were wearing his heart on his shoulder.  
  
"You think so?" Shinji said, he had never considered home in that way before.  
  
"I want to talk to you some more, may I join you?" Kaworu asked.  
  
"Where?" Shinji asked having a mind lapse.  
  
"To the shower of course"  
  
"Oh, sure" Shinji said suddenly feeling a wave of awkwardness sweep over him.  
  
* * *  
  
"Have the Magi reached a conclusion yet?" Misato asked edgily.  
  
"Just one more minute" Maya said watching Mia through the screen. "It is almost as if she is sad, maybe something that has effected Asuka is effecting her?" she suggested.  
  
"No, Asuka's level dropped, Mia's is rising. And from what I know Mia has not suffered and forms of suicide in her past. Only her fathers death." Misato added.  
  
"You mean that she is Dr. Zaharia's daughter?" Maya asked stunned, she had never considered it. "Well that would make sense her being the fourth child and all. That must have torn her apart, his death I mean"  
  
"Yes, but Mia has a unique personality, she can change herself to suit others, that's what she does to survive. That's why she has the closest Eva to unit 01" Misato said thinking aloud as the Magi beeped loudly.  
  
"Oh the medical." Maya said typing away busily. "What?!"  
  
"Show me" Misato edged to the screen. Mia's medical showed just above the boarder line of dead, however all of her organs were functioning properly.  
  
"That's not possible. She is breathing fine and her pulse is normal but the Magi are confirming a cell break down in her system, like the angel that fooled us as a form of bacteria. She has cell reduction and bio contamination everywhere. how is this possible?"  
  
"I have no idea, classify this as top secret information. The commanders must not know and neither can she. We can not lose her to a decrease in her ego and if Ikari finds out he wont use her as a pilot and Shinji will be alone" Misato ordered sternly. Maya hesitantly locked down the information and downloaded it to a disk handing it to Misato.  
  
"What do we tell Mia?" Maya asked quietly.  
  
"Stress overload" Misato said quickly. She held down the button and spoke into the microphone. "OK Mia you can get out now" 


End file.
